Harry Potter and the Ultimate Force
by DarkKing666
Summary: Asgard monitors all issued Prophecies quite closely.  Occasionally, somebody needs to step in for some hands-on corrective action...
1. Chapter 1: A prophecy in crisis

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter or Oh My Goddess.

* * *

><p>Asgard is a busy place. There's a lot of work involved in keeping the Cosmos ticking over smoothly.<p>

Fortunately a lot of it is automated now - centuries of work by dedicated deities had slowly changed their roles from hard-working labourers toiling to keep the great tree of life - also known as Yggdrasil - alive and flourishing...to system administrators.

Some viewed that as a retrograde step. The views of the Almighty were unknown.

Still, it had taken a lot of the drudge work out of life. Though given that it had been replaced with tasks that revolved around bug eradication, system performance improvements and filling out forms, it was more a case that the physical part of the drudgery had been reduced.

One particular function of the Yggdrasil had been automated to the point where it almost needed no external input. This was the important Prophecies section, which had once required the full time attention of a minor deity at all times and occupied all three Norns on a regular basis. The goal of the Prophecies section was to apply corrections to the course of history as it unfolded, following some grand plan that the Almighty had mapped out somewhere.

Not that he ever explained what was in this grand plan, or the precise reasoning behind the "course corrections" that the Prophecies section applied. While in many respects the perfect boss to work for, he did have a habit of never explaining his reasoning. This could lead to frustration and uncertainty in equal measures, but it was just one of the things you got used to in Asgard.

The old system involved many hours spent divining the future using runic arrays, a tedious and annoying task that took a lot of time and always gave somewhat nebulous results. The skill was then interpreting these results and determining if they indicated that a Prophecy was needed. Once that had been determined, many more hours were spent figuring out where and when the Prophecy should be given, the particular form of delivery and even the wording to be used. Only once all relevant factors had been worked out in the fullest was a Prophecy issued - and then the next tedious task began; monitoring the issued Prophecy to make sure it was on track to achieve the desired results.

All of this had changed after Skuld, Norn of the Future, had spent her first full shift in the Prophecies section. She had not enjoyed the work at all, and had been horrified to learn that her role as Norn of the _Future_ meant that she would be doing it again. And again. And again.

In fact, Skuld could look forward to a job position that would require her to spend most of her time on Prophecies. The young goddess had not relished the idea, and had set about finding a solution.

Much to everyone's surprise, Skuld had actually delivered the goods. A new software program designed to perform every task involved in issuing a new Prophecy. It was fully automatic, extremely efficient and rarely required input from operators. It was even more consistent, as a lot of the individual judgement had been taken out of the process.

Skuld's development had seen the Prophecy section reduced to one office tucked away in a corner, occupied by a single deity who's main job was to keep an eye out for bugs. It had also seen Skuld given an early promotion to a System Administrator role, as the code used for the Prophecy program was top notch by anyone's standard.

These days, Prophecies was a role used to give busy deities a bit of a rest from the high pressure environment that was the main Yggdrasil operations room. The office assigned was spacious, well designed and had a good view of Asgard - perfect for a stressed god or goddess to relax and lose some tension.

Today, Sif was on duty. She was taking the opportunity to catch up on some reading, her backlog of trashy romance novels had been building up and this was a good time to work through some of them. Nothing to do but kick back, read through schmaltz and -

Sif's peaceful afternoon was disrupted by a small but persistent alarm on her terminal. Sighing, she placed a bookmark in her novel before turning to see what the problem was. Probably just another approval request - some Prophecies needed active approval before they could be issued. This screen was new, though...

Sif groaned. _It would happen on my shift, _she groused to herself, _the first time a Prophecy has gone bad for centuries and it happens when I'm in here trying to read. Oh well, let's have a look._

On further investigation, Sif discovered that it was a high priority Prophecy - graded as a category 1. Sif had given up paying attention to the Prophecy grading system after the 17th revision in as many decades, which roughly correlated to the turnover of supervisors in the administration section that handled the grading system. For all she knew, a category 1 meant it was an inconsequential bit of a subconscious hint meant to allow some deserving soul to get the right numbers for a lotto draw, commonly known as a "hunch"...

_Oh crap. _Sif thought to herself. The manual (Sif was unsurprised to discover that she was the first person to access the damn file since it had been officially published) stated that category 1 Prophecies were the most important going. That meant direct oversight from the Almighty himself.

_If it was so important, how did it ever get to the point where it is throwing up an error on my screen? _The goddess pondered. _Well, there is nothing for it but to escalate this - the good part of a category 1 Prophecy is that it is outside my delegated authority._

With a few simple commands, the details of the case were forwarded on to deities in more senior positions. It would bounce from desk to desk in a game of bureaucratic pass-the-parcel until it finally reached somebody who had both the authority to deal with the issue and the inclination to actually take action.

* * *

><p>In a certain temple near Nekomi Tech in Japan, the phone was ringing. This was not unusual, as all of the residents of said temple had fairly active social lives. There was also the fact that one resident - a certain Keiichi Morisato - was employed (and on call when he wasn't at the shop) while the other three were goddesses who often acted as the local agent for Asgard's operations.<p>

It should be noted that it is not common for goddesses to be present on Earth (also known as Midgard), even in temples. Keiichi was currently living through his own version of "unintended consequences", caused by a hastily made wish and the Ultimate Force working hard.

Urd floated over to the phone once she realised that nobody else was likely to answer it in time to stop the ringing from interrupting her favourite TV show. This was the second week of Belldandy's firmly enforced TV watching roster that had been implemented to limit the fights between Urd and Skuld, and so far it was working well. The only downside was that the person who had the allotted timeslot at any given moment was also on telephone duty.

Urd picked up the receiver. "Hello, Urd speaking." She had tried a number of more interesting greetings, but Belldandy had finally put her foot down after Megumi Morisato thought she had accidentally called a love hotel. Now it was just a "hello" followed by the name.

Urd stiffened as she heard the voice at the other end. She remained silent for a few moments, before she gently put the receiver down on the small table provided for such a task and walked off purposefully. She quickly found what she was after in the kitchen.

"Belldandy? Father is on the phone for you."

Belldandy looked around sharply and gave Urd an intense look, before she swiftly moved to pick up the phone herself.

"Hello, Father?"

Urd watched as Belldandy had a decidedly one-sided conversation with the Almighty. Apart from the occasional "yes, Father" and "I understand, Father", Belldandy was silent for the duration of the call. Finally there was a "I understand, Father. I love you. Bye!" and the receiver was hung up. Belldandy turned to her older sister with a serious look on her face.

"We need to have a meeting. Please fetch Keiichi and Skuld."

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for everybody to gather in the living room. Belldandy was looking serious, which was highly unusual for her.<p>

"I have been given a new mission by the Almighty. Urd and Skuld are to help me with it. In order to avoid any conflict with the Ultimate Force, I must ask you to work with me on this one, Keiichi."

"Sure thing. What is going on?" Her fiancé - sort of - said.

"A category 1 Prophecy has gone badly astray and we have been asked to rectify the problem. We are the only goddesses currently stationed here on Earth and sending more will only attract attention from Niflheim. Also, all Prophecies ultimately fall under our jurisdiction as the Norns."

Urd and Skuld nodded, though Skuld looked worried.

"Um, was my program in anyway involved in -" the youngest Norn started, before she was cut off by Belldandy.

"No, Skuld. This problem pre-dates your program, though not by much. In fact it was only your software that allowed us to detect the problem at all - without it we would have not discovered the issue until it was too late."

Skuld looked relieved. Nobody wanted their crowning glory (to date, at least) to be the root cause of a problem that attracted the attention of the Almighty himself.

"The complication is that we will need to move overseas for an extended period to resolve this." Belldandy continued.

"Overseas? Where?" Keiichi asked.

"England. The Prophecy dealt specifically with events in the British Isles, though the wider consequences could have a global reach."

Keiichi paled a bit. "Um, England? That's a long way, Belldandy, and I'm not sure I can afford..."

Belldandy stopped him by gently placing her hand on his. "There is no need to worry, dear. The Ultimate Force has been engaged in a limited sense - it will see to it that we get to where we need to be."

Keiichi was about to ask his fiancée - sort of - what she meant when the phone rang. Grumbling slightly under his breath, the young engineer got to his feet and walked over to answer the ringing annoyance.

"Hello, Keiichi Morisato speaking."

The three Norns watched as Keiichi grew steadily more and more nervous, making monosyllable replies - in English, of all things - to the person on the other end of the call. Finally, Keiichi looked at Belldandy with a slightly questioning expression. Belldandy just nodded. Keiichi seemed to deflate a bit, before he returned to the call.

"In that case, I think I must accept. I look forward to working with you." Keiichi said in English. After a few more pleasantries were exchanged, Keiichi hung up the phone.

"What was that, K-boy?" Urd asked.

"That was John Bloor of Triumph Motorcycles in Britain. It seems he wants to employ some Japanese motorcycle experts to help him develop bikes that can rival the best we make. Apparently he knows Chihiro, and asked her for advice. She recommended that he call me. I take it this is the Ultimate Force?"

"Yes, dear. We are needed in Britain, and so the Ultimate Force has arranged for it to happen. We should start packing to leave."

* * *

><p>Of course, it wasn't that easy. Both Urd and Skuld had more equipment, clothes and miscellaneous junk than could be taken to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on a commercial flight, so alternative transport had to be arranged for the baggage. Keiichi had offered to find some group like DHL, only to be brushed off as the Norns apparently had "better methods". Privately, Keiichi wondered if any of the items transported by "better methods" would ever be seen again, but the two sisters seemed convinced.<p>

Other issues included sorting out quarantine for Welsper, as apparently the Ultimate Force did not perceive him as being important enough to just "arrange" for the demon-turned-cat to simply waltz into the island nation without bureaucratic hindrance. Ultimately the unfortunate feline was sent ahead of the rest of the group to allow them to retrieve him shortly after their arrival in the UK.

Keiichi had managed to convince his sister to be a caretaker for the temple in his absence - a deal sweetened by the fact that she would get a much larger place than her current apartment...rent free. Not that Keiichi cared, he just hoped the buildings would still be standing when he got back.

Finally, it was time for the bon voyage party. The less said about it the better, as it involved Belldandy getting drunk on cola, Urd spiking the punch with an aphrodisiac and Skuld getting carried away with her custom built sound system. Combined with Keiichi's "friends" conspiring to get him as drunk as possible and the net result was an extremely hung-over Keiichi boarding the British Airways 747 the next day. Needless to say, he did not enjoy his flight to Britain...even if Triumph Motorcycles had arranged for him to travel First Class.

* * *

><p>Once in the UK, the first step was to find a place to live. Keiichi's new job was based in Hinckley, Leicestershire, so the group checked the real estate pages for that area. The Ultimate Force was apparently still at it, as they quickly found an old church with an attached 4 bedroom house for sale. Even with Keiichi's new job it was outside of their budget, but Urd "just happened" to have a financial windfall in the form of a lottery win. Keiichi wanted to know why they had never had that kind of luck in Japan, only to be told that it wasn't necessary and that the Ultimate Force was for essential tasks and not to make his life easier in general.<p>

Keiichi quickly plunged into his new job, and was soon heavily involved with Triumph's design group. This left the Norns with the harder job - taking the first steps towards fixing a broken Prophecy. Step one would be to travel south to a place called Little Whinging.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure this is the place?" Urd asked as the three Goddesses walked down a fairly non-descript suburban street.<p>

"Of course I'm sure. We only checked three different street directories." Skuld replied in a sarcastic tone.

"Hey, don't get testy. I was expecting something a little more...occult than this. For somebody like our subject, that is."

Belldandy giggled. "Honestly, Urd, there is no reason to expect some kind of scene out of a movie or..." The middle sister trailed off as all three Norns suddenly halted. They had just come into range of something that felt all too familiar.

"Blood wards," Urd hissed, "who would dare to use Blood Wards in this day and age? They've only been completely discredited for, oh, 800 years or so."

"They do work, though." Skuld objected, somewhat weakly. Urd just snorted.

"They give a good appearance of working. In the long term they're nothing but trouble."

"Urd is correct. Blood wards are only truly effective when they are forged and maintained in love. Even the most devoted and closest of families cannot keep it up - conflict is a natural part of all relationships, and blood wards are more sensitive than any other to negative emotions."

"And these feel particularly bad. I doubt that there has been much love here. The whole thing just feels malignant." Urd concluded. Skuld nodded. She was far behind her sisters in terms of magical ability, but even she could tell that something was very wrong.

"The wards seem to be centred on that house over there." Belldandy said. Urd glared at it, as if the building itself was somehow responsible for the malevolent atmosphere.

"Number 4. The address is correct too. We had better get a move on - the less time we spend in these wretched wards the better. I just hope they haven't done too much damage to our...what is he supposed to be again?"

Skuld rolled her eyes. "Honestly, can't you keep track of our cover story? We are the children of his mother's cousin. That makes him our Second Cousin. Our family is in Norway - our grandmother married a Norwegian and moved there after the Second World War. We've just moved here thanks to Keiichi's job - and we met him during a student exchange program to Japan."

"That's right," Urd said, "and we've recently found out about our dear relative and want to check up on him. If what the file says is only half correct, we shouldn't have too much trouble getting custody."

Belldandy just nodded. She had read the file as well, and had been truly horrified by some of the details. Normally a peaceful and forgiving person, she was having difficulty resisting the temptation to effect some early Divine Justice on the family living at Number 4 Privet Drive.

"Gah," Urd said suddenly, looking down as she put a hand over her eyes, "I think I just figured it out."

"Figured out what?" Skuld asked.

"Why your program flagged this one," Urd said darkly as she stared at Number 4, "the Blood Wards must have finally reached a point where your code deemed them to be a threat to the Prophecy."

"That would explain a lot," Belldandy said thoughtfully, "and is also why we were not alerted earlier. Your program would not have deemed this to be a serious threat until the Blood Wards had become bad enough to be considered a credible threat."

"Is it a big problem? I mean, could these Wards really cause the Prophecy to fail?" Skuld asked, anxious to check the accuracy of her software.

"I don't know," Urd admitted as she surreptitiously cast a diagnostic charm, "you just used the old written standards for the code, right?"

"Yes, of course I did." Skuld replied a little testily.

"Then it wasn't a guaranteed failure, but it was at risk," Urd said firmly, "it is easier to try and fix problems earlier rather than later, so the standards - and, by extension, your program - will flag Prophecies well before an actual failure. Which does raise the question of whether a failure would have happened without intervention, but I've always thought it was better to be safe than sorry."

"Really? That doesn't sound like you at all." Skuld said sarcastically.

"Only on business, brat," Urd replied in a snide tone, "I don't need to be nearly as serious otherwise."

"Now now, let's not fight," Belldandy said before a squabble could break out, "we need to go and see Harry."

"Let's get it over with," Skuld grumped. The feeling from the wards was getting to her.

"Fine by me, squirt." Urd said with a smirk before she marched in the direction of their target.

* * *

><p>Harry James Potter was not having a good day. This was not unusual, as he rarely had good days. Today had started with his aunt bodily hauling him out of his cupboard and clipping him around the ear, telling him to start cooking breakfast. Today was his cousin Dudley's 9th birthday, and apparently an outing to see some film called "Pet Sematary" had been arranged. Harry, naturally, was not invited, and would spend the day with the old cat lady down the road. Harry didn't mind that so much - at least Dudley and his gang wouldn't be around to play their favourite game of "Harry hunting".<p>

Breakfast had been served and eaten (not that Harry got anything to eat), and now Dudley was in the process of counting his presents. He'd managed to get up to 23 twice now before losing track on both occasions, and Harry was entertaining private thoughts that "Dudders" would never get any further before it was time to leave for the cinema, when there was a knock at the door.

"What kind of person comes knocking on the door at this time of day?" Vernon Dursley, Harry's obese uncle, grumbled as he waddled towards the door. Harry glanced at the clock and refrained from commenting that 9:30am was actually a reasonable hour to be up and around.

Vernon Dursley, manager at Grunnings Drills (and secretly short-listed for a promotion to director, not that he was supposed to know that), wrenched open the front door to his home and levelled a glare at whoever had decided to interrupt his son's special day. The glare disappeared rapidly when he saw two extremely attractive women on his doorstep accompanied by a fairly sullen looking teenage girl. Male libido warred with his ingrained bigotry as he noticed that one of the women was tanned to the point of looking a bit foreign. _Skin that colour ain't right for around here, _the overweight man thought, _maybe she's a Paki? Bloody savages coming over here, stealing jobs from hard-working Britons..._

"Yes? What do you want?" Vernon asked in as polite a tone as he could manage. He managed about a 2.3 out of 10 for sincerity, even with a late score from the East German judge going in his favour.

"Vernon Dursley, I presume?" The tan woman asked.

"Yes, that's me. What do you want?" Vernon replied.

"I am Urd Odinsdotter, and these are my sisters Belldandy and Skuld. I am told that Petunia Dursley lives here?"

"Yes, that's my wife." Vernon replied curtly.

Urd's eyebrow twitched slightly. "Petunia is our first cousin once removed - our father was her cousin. We were raised in Norway and this is our first trip to Britain. We were told that we have family here and we wanted to meet with them. May we come in?"

Vernon hesitated, but couldn't come up with a good excuse to turn them away. On any other day he probably would have had a dozen excuses ready to go, but today his mind was just blank (a state that Harry would privately claim to be the norm).

"Sure. Come in." He stepped back to allow the three entrance. He did not notice how all three scowled slightly as they stepped over the threshold.

In the kitchen, Dudley had finally completed his Herculean task of counting his birthday presents. Fortunately for the sanity of all involved, he was convinced that he had received more presents than he had the previous year, so the tantrum was avoided. He was now happily engaged in tearing off the wrapping paper on a variety of toys, games and similar objects that would all probably be broken and consigned to Dudley's second bedroom before the end of the month. This scene of a self-centred brat happily ensconced in its natural habitat was interrupted by the entrance of Vernon's three guests.

"Hello?" Petunia Dursley asked tentatively.

"Petunia? I am your cousin Urd Odinsdotter, and these are my sisters Belldandy and Skuld." Belldandy gave a thin smile, while Skuld essayed a small wave.

"Cousins? I'm not aware..." Petunia trailed off as she stared at the three women in confusion.

"Actually, we are your First Cousins, once removed. Our father is your cousin Erik. I don't think you ever met him, as our grandmother moved to Norway in 1946. I believe she was your aunt Violet."

Petunia just nodded dumbly. She had vague memories of her parents talking about some nephews and nieces but she had never met any relatives beyond her grandparents.

"This is our first visit to Britain. In fact we've just moved here - Belldandy's fiancé just got a job with Triumph Motorcycles. We knew we had family here in Britain and we wanted to meet with them."

Petunia just nodded again, before she appeared to gather her wits.

"Well, you've met my husband Vernon. This is my son, Dudley. Today is his birthday - he's 9!"

Belldandy's paper-thin smile gained a little more depth. "Hello Dudley, and congratulations."

Dudley stared at the newcomers suspiciously, before he turned his attention to a new target. "Muuuum! When are we going to the movies?"

"The movie isn't until 11 o'clock, Duddikins, so not just yet." Petunia soothed. Dudley refused to be placated.

"But I wanna go now!" He half whined, half shouted. Urd thought the effort to combine the two was quite impressive.

"You'll just have to wait, dear. Now why don't you unwrap the last of your presents?"

"Excuse me, cousin, but who is that?" Skuld interrupted, pointing at Harry. Dudley decided that he could contribute to this one.

"Oh, he's just the freak." The spoilt brat said in a dismissive tone.

"Excuse me?" Belldandy asked.

"He's my freakish cousin." Dudley continued, completely oblivious to the fact that his parents were waving frantically at him to keep quiet. Dudley didn't do quiet, especially not when asked.

"Oh, really. So, what is your name?" Urd asked Harry in a pointed way.

"Uh, Harry, miss." Urd developed a small grin upon hearing the title Harry had apparently chosen by default.

"Well, Harry, I am your Second Cousin. My name is Urd, and these are my sisters Belldandy and Skuld. It is nice to meet you at last."

Harry just nodded, hoping that his interaction with his new-found family members would not result in punishment later on.

"So," Urd said as she slowly turned to Petunia Dursley, "what's this about a freak?"

"The boy - he's unnatural." Vernon declared, his ingrained bigotry finally getting the better of his desire to look good in front of strangers. "We've done our best but he's just..."

"What's so unnatural?" Urd asked in a deceptively neutral tone. "Is it that he's a wizard?"

Urd's simple question hit the room like a bomb. Petunia's face went so pale it looked like she was on the verge of passing out, while Vernon's complexion went from slightly red to an incredibly deep purple in what appeared to be no time at all. Harry looked shocked, while Dudley just looked confused.

"DON'T USE THAT WORD IN THIS HOUSE!" Vernon roared.

"What word, wizard? Why not? Harry is a wizard after all, why shouldn't we say it?" Urd asked innocently.

"I'LL HAVE NONE OF THAT FREAKISHNESS IN MY HOME-" Vernon started before he was cut off.

"Apparently you will, considering that Harry is living here," Urd said. "Though I'm curious that you implied that you had tried to deal with his 'unnaturalness'. Care to explain?"

The purple hue of Vernon's face eased for a moment as a small sliver of fear penetrated his mind, before his anger reasserted itself.

"HOW DO YOU KNOW ANY OF THIS? ARE YOU ONE OF THOSE FREAKS AS WELL?"

Belldandy frowned. "We use magic, yes. There is nothing unusual or freakish about it."

"GET OUT! I WON'T HAVE YOUR KIND HERE!" Vernon shouted, his volume control apparently stuck on 11.

"Not until we get some answers about how you've been raising Harry here," Urd stated in an icy tone. "How have they been treating you, Harry? I can tell from those cast-offs that you're wearing that they haven't been clothing you properly."

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY A WORD, BOY!" Vernon started, before Urd's patience finally ended. The eldest Norn whirled on the overweight man and snapped her fingers, freezing him in place.

"I've heard enough from you. Come, Harry, let's see how you've been treated around here. Let's start with your bedroom, shall we?"

Slightly numb with shock, Harry nodded dumbly and led the three Goddesses to his closet under the stairs. It would be an interesting hour as Harry gave his newly discovered relatives a tour of his life at Number 4 Privet Drive.

* * *

><p>It was mid-afternoon, and Dudley's birthday had been thoroughly ruined. His party had been aborted early and the promised trip to the cinema had never happened. To add insult to injury, he had been forced to stay in his bedroom for most of the day as his parents struggled desperately to justify their actions over the previous 8 or so years to an angry set of Norns. So far the only thing that had prevented any form of permanent injury being handed out was Belldandy's calming presence, but even she was looking angry at the whole situation.<p>

OK, to most people she looked calm. To anyone who knew her, however, she looked extremely upset.

"Well. We seem to have several counts of child abuse and negligence on our hands. Of course, we aren't the law, but we are morally obliged to inform the authorities about this kind of behaviour." Urd started.

Vernon and Petunia sat quietly on the sofa as Urd read the Riot Act to them. Not that they had much choice, as Urd had rendered them mute and paralysed in order to stop them from interfering with Harry's "tour".

"That would be rather messy. Imagine it - I have no doubt the Press would get involved, and the scandal might even make national headlines! I wonder what your colleagues at Grunnings would say..." Urd continued.

Vernon was sweating. Not that this was unusual, but currently he was sweating more than normal.

"But...we could avoid all of that. We just need your cooperation with a small matter."

For the first time since the party had been interrupted, Vernon and Petunia felt a small amount of hope.

"You see, we came here today to check up on our sole magical relative here in the British Isles. Or at least the sole close relative. And frankly we are more concerned about him than we are about destroying your lives, so here's the deal..."

Urd leaned towards the immobile pair and adopted an expression normally used by her mother to intimidate senior Demons at budget meetings.

"Give us custody of Harry, without any objection. And sign a document that states you will have no further dealings with him outside of ordinary happenstance. Do that, and we'll leave you to wallow in your mediocrity. Make any trouble, and we'll bury you in the court of public opinion. Am I understood?" With that last statement, Urd lifted the silencing spell she had imposed on her erstwhile relatives.

"We understand and accept." Petunia said before Vernon could wreck any chance of making a deal that would allow them to escape this disaster mostly intact. "But there might be a problem with..."

"Don't worry about the old codger. We know how to deal with him." Urd said as she straightened up. "Now, I believe Skuld has the relevant forms ready, so if you'll just sign at the indicated places..."

* * *

><p>"Right. That's stage one complete. Now we just have to-" Urd's commentary was cut off by Harry tugging at her sleeve. "Yes, Harry?"<p>

"Does this mean I'm not going back to my uncle's house?" Harry asked in a small voice.

Belldandy moved in and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Yes, Harry, from now on you will be living with us. Is that alright?" Urd had to hand it to her sister - there was nobody more adept at soothing people.

Harry looked relieved. "That's OK. I never liked living there."

"I don't blame you for that, Harry. We just have to sort out the last of the red tape - Bell, can you take Harry to his new home? Skuld and I can finish off the paperwork."

Belldandy just nodded, and took Harry's hand as she led him to the nearest bus-stop. The three Goddesses had teleported their way to Little Whinging, but had agreed that more conventional transport would be required for Harry's trip. As such, Belldandy would take the bus to the nearest train station, there to catch a train to Hinckley.

Urd and Skuld watched Belldandy and Harry walk away until they were out of earshot. Skuld then turned on Urd.

"Why do _I _have to help with the paperwork? Why couldn't I take Harry home?"

Urd sighed. "Because, sister, Belldandy is the best person to help Harry adjust to this change. She will keep him calm and make his move from the Dursley's house as painless as possible. That leaves the red tape to us."

Skuld pouted, but could see Urd's point. "OK, so what do we do now?"

"We have two sides to this - the non-magical world and the magical. You take care of the non-magical world, as you're better suited to it."

"Why?" Skuld wanted to know.

"The non-magical world is far less insular. If you go in with paperwork for Harry James Potter, the person behind the desk won't know him from any other random citizen. Plus, they're beginning to use computer records to track this kind of thing, and you're easily the best of the three of us with those."

Skuld was momentarily speechless. Urd praising her skills, even admitting that Skuld was better than her eldest sister at something? Unbelievable.

"The magical world will be more complicated. I'm going to have to use a lot of charms and memory modifications - plus some outright forgeries - to get what we want. And frankly I've had a lot more practice at this kind of thing, while you're still learning your way around magic."

Skuld was forced to accept that blunt appraisal. While she was improving on a daily basis, Urd and Belldandy both eclipsed her meagre magical skills by several orders of magnitude.

"Won't the non-magicals be suspicious of somebody my age trying to do all the paperwork?"

Urd smiled and handed over a small bottle that contained a mysterious purple liquid. "Temporary aging potion. It should last for the rest of the day. And before you ask - Belldandy tested it and has verified that it works." With that, Urd handed over a letter addressed to Skuld.

Skuld opened it, and saw a simple message. _Dear Skuld - Urd's potion works and has no harmful effects. You can drink it without fear. - Love, Belldandy._

Urd quirked an eyebrow. "Everything OK then? Right, then I'll meet you back at our new home this evening." With that, Urd walked in the general direction of where she had seen an electrical retailer, obviously in search of a TV to teleport through. Skuld glanced around, and saw a complete absence of any puddles to take advantage of. Sighing, she walked in the general direction of the bus-stop.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Author's notes:<strong> as far as the OMG continuity is concerned, this follows the manga and not the TV series. It takes place a bit after chapter 278.

**Known facts:**

Lily Evans was born on 30 January, 1960 (_Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_ Chapter 16)

Petunia Evans was born on or prior to 1959 (no exact date in canon)

No information on Mr and Mrs Evans, other than they were dead by 1981 and lived in Cokeworth.

**Background for my crossover:**

William John Evans joins the RAF at the age of 18 in 1942 (which would put his year of birth at 1924). He eventually serves as a navigator for Mosquito bombers in a Pathfinder squadron. He meets his future wife Margaret during the war - she works at a local cinema and is a year younger.

War ends, William and Margaret marry in 1948 after William musters out of the RAF (he spent part of his service posted to Europe). William becomes a Maths teacher in Cokeworth, Margaret secures a position as an English teacher at the same school.

Petunia is born in 1958, surprising William and Margaret who had resigned themselves to being childless by that point. Lily arrives in 1960. Lily gets muggle education from parents during her summer breaks from Hogwarts.

**Norn placement (new history created by the Ultimate Force):**

William has an older sister Violet (flower naming tradition comes from Evans side). Violet serves during WW2 as a translator (she has a gift for languages) for the Special Operations Executive. During this time she meets a young Norwegian army officer who escaped with the Norwegian government in 1940.

When the war ends, Violet marries Thor Odinsdotter (note: this name is intentional) and moves to Norway. They have 2 children - Erik (born 1946) and Rose (born 1948). Note: this makes Rose and Erik the First Cousins of Petunia and Lily, and Harry's First Cousins one removed. Both Erik and Rose are discovered to be First Generation magic-users (muggleborn in the UK) and attend the Norwegian Magical Academy (founded 1750). The Statute of Secrecy means that Violet never informs her family back in Britain about magic.

Erik marries in 1966 at the age of 20. He has three children - Urd (born 1966), Belldandy (born 1968) and Skuld (born 1973) - Second Cousins to Harry. When Belldandy turns 18 in 1986, she goes to Japan on an exchange program.

Keiichi Morisato - born 1967. Meets Belldandy during his 2nd year studying Engineering at Nekomi Tech (1986). Graduates in 1988. Gets job with Triumph Motorcycles in the UK in 1989.

When the story starts in June 1989, Harry is 8 (9 in July). Urd is 23, Belldandy is 21, Skuld is 16. This also means that Skuld is the same age as Nymphadora Tonks.

Note for the OMG purists: I'm taking liberties with Keiichi's age, just to make it fit with the Potterverse timeline. If this really offends you, deal with it.

**Update: **Thanks to a review by swiftrabbit, I've updated this chapter to fix a small hole in the plot.


	2. Chapter 2: Albus intervenes

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter or Oh My Goddess.

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><p>Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Order of Merlin (First Class), Grand Sorceror, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was currently an extremely frustrated and worried wizard. His most important project for the past decade had gone seriously off course, and he could not for the life of him figure out just what had occurred.<p>

The first warning he'd had was when one of the silver instruments in his office had abruptly stopped working. This was concerning, as this particular instrument was set to monitor the blood wards that protected one Harry James Potter from Voldemort. Of course, Dumbledore would never allow that kind of information to ever become public. Blood wards were highly illegal regardless of the intentions of the caster, plus Dumbledore had no desire to ever admit that the only thing the wards did was protect the Boy-Who-Lived from You-Know-Who exclusively.

Any other wizard or witch wouldn't even notice the wards if they should attempt to do the boy harm. And there were plenty out there who would - Lucius Malfoy might have played the smart game of appearing to have redeemed himself, but other Death Eaters that had been pardoned due to "coercion by Imperius" were not nearly as devious and might have had a go at the young hero regardless of the personal cost.

This was part of the reason behind Harry's placement in the muggle world. Security from obscurity was an appealing prospect to the aged Headmaster, as it was a tactic he'd used with great success in the past to hide things as varied as the true nature of his wand right through to the truth regarding his earlier relationship with one Gellert Grindelwald.

The larger part of the reason had been, naturally, the upkeep of Harry's blood wards. The Supreme Mugwump had needed a blood relative of Lily Potter, nee Evans, and his search had come up mostly dry. Petunia Dursley, nee Evans, was his only choice. As a result he had completely disregarded the advice of Minerva McGonagall and had left young Harry in the care of his aunt.

He had taken a few precautions, of course. He'd left Arabella Figg nearby to keep an eye on things and then used a relatively unknown charm that helped the existence of Harry Potter fade into the background. All files and reports regarding the Boy-Who-Lived now enjoyed the benefits of something that made his records very hard to notice, let alone find. The last thing the Headmaster wanted was for somebody at the Ministry of Magic to reveal the secret after finding Harry's files by accident.

Now, however, it looked like the wheels had fallen off the cart - to use a muggle expression. The behaviour of the instrument - which had gone from peacefully spinning to a dead halt almost instantly - seemed to indicate that the blood wards hadn't decayed or failed. Decaying wards would have been evident by a steady decrease in the speed of the rotations, while failed wards would probably have seen the instrument self-destruct (Dumbledore kept permanent magical barriers around his wide collection of instruments to guard against such an eventuality). The sudden and almost instant cessation of all movement indicated one thing - somebody had removed the wards deliberately and intentionally. They had not been breached or destroyed; they had been unwound and depowered.

This was very worrisome. Dumbledore did not know of anybody outside of the Department of Mysteries who had the skill to achieve such a total dissolution of such powerful wards with so little fuss. Even the best ward breakers at Gringotts would have caused magical surges in the process of dismantling such a ward scheme. That the process had gone so smoothly meant that whoever had done it was a true expert.

It also meant that Harry Potter was not protected from Voldemort. Albus wasn't sure which prospect worried him more - the fact that the boy prophesied to defeat the Dark Lord had lost his most powerful protection, or that a new player had entered the game...one who might rival the Chief Warlock in terms of skill and expertise.

Wizards and witches of that skill level were rare. Rare enough that Dumbledore knew them all, through groups like the ICW as well as professional gatherings such as academic conferences. For somebody on that level to be in the UK without Dumbledore being aware was very disconcerting for the aged Headmaster.

His first response to the failure of his device was to floo to Figg's house immediately and walk to the Dursley household as fast as his old legs could manage. The results of his investigation had been less than satisfactory. The Dursleys had started off by shouting at him and attempting to force him to leave. He had eventually resorted to paralysing and silencing them, only allowing them to speak when he wanted answers. Not that he got anything meaningful from them until he, reluctantly, used his impressive Legilimency skills on them.

What he had found shocked the Supreme Mugwump. Three blood relatives of Harry on his mother's side? Relatives who apparently knew about the magical world, and knew of Harry's status as a wizard? Albus had never heard of these people before, and was deeply suspicious of their claims and purported identities.

All other investigations at the Dursley household proved fruitless. A quick scan revealed that Harry was nowhere near and that the blood wards had vanished from the face of the planet. No residual magic was left to even give a hint of what had been done to dispel the wards, which indicated a skill level that dwarfed even Dumbledore's. The complete absence of any signature magic traces meant that whoever had lifted the wards had used exactly the required amount of power and not a skerrick more. That kind of precision was practically unheard of.

The Dursley's memories of the forms they had been compelled to sign were the most useful result of his investigation at Privet Drive. They were muggle adoption forms, which meant there would be a paper trail to follow up. Accordingly, Dumbledore had headed for the nearest Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

* * *

><p>When Urd returned to their new home in Hinckley, she found that Skuld had beaten her there by a few hours. It was hardly surprising - non-magical bureaucracy may be ludicrously complicated and irrational, but it paled into insignificance when compared to a system that was equally labyrinthine but also staffed with people who weren't just incompetent, but maliciously unhelpful as well.<p>

Of course, Urd was used to hostile bureaucracies. She had spent three months of her early career as a fully licensed goddess in the Niflheim liaison office. Humans had nothing on a bunch of demons who were deliberately working on creating the most impenetrable wall of red tape possible.

"Hello Urd. Have you finished with the Ministry of Magic?" Belldandy greeted her eldest sister with her usual smile. The one guaranteed to warm up the coldest days at the North Pole. Urd couldn't help but smile in return.

"It is all sorted out. They were difficult to get on with at first when they realised that we are 'only half-bloods' but I managed to persuade them to do what we needed."

"How did you manage that, Urd?" Keiichi asked, wandering in from where he had been working on his motorcycle. Shipping costs had compelled Keiichi to leave his beloved BMW in Japan, so on his arrival in the UK he had set out to purchase a new bike. Due to his job he had acquired a 1982 Triumph Bonneville T140. Right now he was spending a lot of his spare time working on his new bike, which meant that he was covered with engine oil more often than not.

Urd addressed the man she was sure would be her brother-in-law soon. "There are two ways to get things done at the Ministry of Magic in this country. The first is to be a so-called 'pureblood' with the right connections. The second is to be rich enough that any Ministry worker you meet wants to be your friend on the off-chance that you'll pay them for the favour. I just hinted that my family has a large quantity of gold stashed away and they all bent over backwards to help me."

"Urd! That was dishonest!" Belldandy scolded.

"Not really," Urd replied with a smirk, "first of all we will soon have a large quantity of gold stashed away. I'll be setting up an account with that Gringotts bank the magicals in Britain seem to favour sometime in the next few days. Second, I never bribed anyone or even promised them money. I just let them know I was wealthy and they helped me out of their own free will."

Belldandy frowned slightly. She hated hearing about this kind of corruption, but knew that they had to work with the system as it was. At least in the short term, reform could come later if needed.

"At any rate, back to the task at hand. How is our cousin handling things?" Urd asked.

Belldandy brightened a bit. "He seems quite fine. He was nervous at first, and is more than just a little fearful, but I gave him an early dinner soon after we got home and he's now in his new room asleep. He should remain that way until tomorrow."

"Good. Then we really should finish up and secure this property, pronto." Urd said seriously. She was relieved that young Harry seemed to be taking the changes well, she had fully expected the abused child to have freaked out at some point. Or broken down into tears.

Belldandy nodded, and turned to Keiichi. "Dear, could you please find Skuld and ask her to join us in the yard? We will need her help for this."

"Sure thing. Do you need my help at all?" Keiichi asked, fully expecting to be left out. He rarely had anything to contribute to the goddess' magical work.

"Actually, we might need your help moving some rocks around for the initial array," Urd stated, "once the wards are set up we can get rid of them, but the initial ritual will need a specific runic mandala. Up to some heavy lifting, K1?"

Keiichi shrugged. "I suppose so. Are we doing this now?"

"Yes dear, the sooner the better. Come with me, Urd, I'll show you what I've mapped out so far..." Belldandy said as she led her sister out to the garden.

* * *

><p>Albus Dumbledore was feeling marginally better as he left the muggle Registrar's office. A few subtle charms and mild Legilimency probes had garnered him the information he wanted. One Harry James Potter had been formally adopted by his second cousin Belldandy Morisato and her husband Keiichi. Everything was by the book; the relevant forms for the Dursleys to relinquish their guardianship, forms for Miss Belldandy to become the new guardian, the necessary files regarding family background etc.<p>

The big giveaway was that everything had been processed in the space of a few hours, whereas normal practice would have the entire exercise take months or years to complete. Obviously magic had been involved, but Dumbledore wasn't able to determine exactly how this miracle had been worked.

The most useful bit of information that he had found was the address for where Keiichi and Belldandy Morisato lived. That would be the Headmaster's next port of call...once he figured out where Hinckley was.

"Ah well, I guess the Knight Bus will have to suffice." With that, Albus held out his wand in the required fashion, and was soon rewarded with the arrival of the purple triple decker. Climbing aboard, he greeted Stan Shunpike and gave his destination. After declining the offer of a toothbrush, he settled down and did his best to ignore the lurches that the bus made as it dodged lorries on its way north.

* * *

><p>Urd inspected the mandala that Belldandy had traced on the ground.<p>

"It looks good, Bell. I take it that you've found a local source of energy to supply it?"

"Yes, Urd dear. This site has been a centre for ritual for thousands of years, all because it is situated over the junction of two ley lines. We can tap into that and get all the energy we need without harming anything that may depend on the ley lines elsewhere."

Urd whistled. She had been hoping for a minor earth power line or a local spirit who could be persuaded to help. Two ley lines, and the junction between them? That was serious power right there. Even minor ley lines had enough energy to keep the most determined demons away...if used correctly. The local wizards wouldn't stand a chance.

"Sounds good to me. I take it Skuld has double-checked your work?" Belldandy was easily the best of the three Norns at creating wards, but it always paid to check. Skuld was ideal for this, as she had created a program for error-checking mandalas. Naturally. Urd suspected that one day Skuld would attempt to create a software program that would replace the Almighty in the decision making process if she was given a chance.

"Yes, sister. Now we just have to position some of the rocks that we acquired from the local gardening shop. After that we can energise the mandala and establish the wards."

The next hour or so was spent carefully positioning small boulders of various types in specific positions within the mandala. Once everything was in place, Belldandy turned to Keiichi.

"Harry is still asleep, but this may wake him up. Can you please go inside and sit with him until we are finished? He may need reassurance when he wakes up in a strange place."

"Sure thing, Belldandy." Keiichi agreed affably. He had seen the sisters create wards before and while he would like to have watched, he could skip this one without any stress. Plus he could see the value of having somebody on hand to calm young Harry if needed.

* * *

><p>Albus Dumbledore exited the Knight Bus some distance from his ultimate destination. While he could have had Stan drop him off right at the required address, he felt that a small degree of discretion was required. Accordingly, he waited for the bus to move off before he started a gentle walk to the address listed as Harry's new residence.<p>

He had never been to Hinckley before, and was working from a copied street directory he'd found in London before he caught the bus. He estimated that he was about a mile away as the owl flies when he felt what seemed to be a massive build-up of magical power.

_It is coming from where Harry should be, _the old man thought worriedly, _I cannot dawdle now!_

With that thought, the headmaster started a series of short-range apparations in the general direction of where Harry should be. _Corner of St Francis Close and Tudor Road!_

* * *

><p>At said address, the process of building the wards was going well. There had been no surge of power when the ley lines had been tapped, and the mandala was channelling the energy nicely. All three goddesses were perfectly synchronised and had encountered no problems.<p>

Inside the two storey house, Keiichi was sitting quietly in Harry's bedroom on the upstairs level. Harry was still sleeping peacefully in spite of the lightshow going on just outside his window. Keiichi was taking the opportunity to read through one of his "Learn to speak English" books that had been permanently attached to his required reading list ever since he took the job with Triumph.

The wards themselves were taking place fairly nicely, and would be self-sustaining once established. The structure included a permanent tap into the ley line intersection under the church, negating the need for any ward stones to act as an anchor. Once the ritual was complete, the mandala would fade naturally and the temporary rune stones could be placed in more decorative locations. Belldandy already had the first stages of her new garden mapped out, and was looking forward to working on it with Harry.

* * *

><p>Dumbledore was now racing up Tudor Road towards his destination. <em>A church of all places, <em>he thought to himself, _what kind of person lives in a church? Apart from priests, that is._

To his trained eye, the magic playing over the site was obvious. _It looks like somebody is setting up wards, but I've never seen anything like __**that **__before. Just what are they doing?_

Just as he was coming up to the property boundary, there was one final surge of magic before the swirling energy settled down into...

_That's a ward scheme, alright, but it isn't one that I've ever seen before. Merlin's bones, if what I'm seeing is correct...they rival the wards at Hogwarts! Not nearly as much power, but the structure more than compensates for it! Who are these people?_

Steeling himself, he went to the front door and grasped the knocker.

* * *

><p>The Norns had just finished their ritual, and Skuld was busy checking the results on her terminal.<p>

"OK, it looks like everything worked out as planned. We are now warded for demons, magic-users of hostile intent as well as the usual protections against natural disasters such as fire, flood, storms etcetera. The ley line tap is stable and should last for a few decades before we have to tweak it, so that's worked out better than we anticipated."

"That's good news. Thank you, Skuld." Belldandy said as she watched the mandala slowly fade from view.

"OK, I guess the next step is to-" Urd was cut off as the doorbell sounded. The biggest issue with their new home was that the front door onto the street was to the church, which was separate from their house. The Norns had contemplated reworking the old house of worship into another residential area, as the current house didn't quite have enough space for everybody to have space to live and work (Urd's laboratory was currently still packed into crates until she could find space), but that was a task for the future.

In the mean time, they had a problem of knowing when to answer the front door, as the knocker could not be heard from the house. Skuld had not been deterred, and had wired up a device on the knocker that sounded a doorbell in the main house when it was used.

Urd's face went impassive. "A guest. And judging by the timing, I think I know who it is. You two start working on the scans we'll need for Harry tomorrow - I'll go and handle our visitor."

"Will you need help, sister?" Belldandy asked in a pleasant tone. Urd caught the hidden message in her sister's tone of voice.

"Don't worry Bell," she said with a smirk on her lips, "we won't need anything drastic at this point. He isn't the type to require me to get...active. Though that may change in the future. For now, however, our paperwork will be enough."

With that, Urd marched off in the direction of the church. Belldandy and Skuld glanced at each other, before heading inside to find the living room. It was time to work up a full schedule of scans that would give them the information they would need to properly care for the newest addition to their family.

* * *

><p>Dumbledore had been standing at the doors to the church for a few minutes and was starting to wonder if he shouldn't just enter uninvited when one of the doors finally opened. Albus remained impassive as he saw a young, attractive, extremely tan woman with hair that was grey bordering on silver. An impish grin was fixed to her face, as she seemed to weigh the Supreme Mugwump up in a single glance.<p>

"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, I presume?" She greeted him.

Albus offered a small smile. "That is correct. Who do I have the honour of addressing?"

"Urd Odinsdotter. I would ask you what you wanted here, but I think we both know the answer to that already. How about you come in, so we can discuss this in private?"

"I think that would be advisable."

Dumbledore was slightly concerned. He had sent a gentle Legilimency probe at the young woman the instant he first established eye contact, but it was...strange. Almost as if there was nothing there. He resolved to probe harder if necessary - only Riddle had ever been able to keep his mind fully secure from Dumbledore's Legilimency.

As soon as the door closed, Urd turned on the Headmaster. "I'll be frank. You are here to find out what has happened to Harry Potter, and to take him back to his...relatives." Urd almost spat the last word out, surprising Dumbledore.

"Well, I am here to tell you to give up right now. We are Harry's closest living magical blood relatives. The Dursleys have proven themselves to be grossly inadequate to the task of raising a magical child. We have obtained legal guardianship of our cousin in both the magical and non-magical world, and we will not relinquish it to anybody without good cause."

Dumbledore bristled internally, but remained calm on the outside. "My dear, there is more at stake than..."

"You mean the blood wards?" Urd cut him off. Dumbledore's control slipped for a moment and his shock showed. "Yes, we know all about those. I also disbanded them permanently after we had Harry safely away from that horrible place. Even if you did take him back to Privet Drive, you cannot re-establish the wards. They are _gone, _Dumbledore."

Albus' expression was stern. "They could always be recast-"

"Really? So who would you sacrifice to do it? Petunia or Dudley? Considering that Vernon is not a blood relative, it would have to be one of those two." Urd said, cutting the Headmaster off again.

"What do you mean, sacrifice?" Dumbledore asked angrily.

Urd shook her head in disgust. "Honestly, you stake so much on those precious blood wards of yours and yet you don't know the first thing about them. Blood wards of that scale require a lot of blood to establish. In Harry's case, it was Lily Potter sacrificing her entire life that allowed them to be cast. The only way to repeat such a ward scheme would be an equal sacrifice. So which Dursley would you kill to keep Harry safe?"

Dumbledore was shocked into silence for a few moments. He had no idea that Harry's blood wards had been...that intense.

"Even so, there is more at stake than you realise!"

Urd smiled mockingly. "There is a lot more that I am aware of, old man, than you would believe possible. We know only too well that the Dark Lord Harry defeated in 1981 is still a threat, and that Harry will be forced to confront him again. We are fully prepared to raise Harry in a safe environment, and bring him up such that he will be ready for the tasks life will throw at him. Something you spectacularly failed to do."

Dumbledore was horrified that critical information had leaked. He drew his wand rapidly, to Obliviate the young woman of information that could spell doom should it fall into the wrong hands.

Unfortunately for the Headmaster, Urd was faster than he was and had anticipated this move. She caught his wrist before he could bring the wand to bear and twisted his arm behind his back, bringing her behind him and locking his wand arm in place.

"Bad move there, Albus. Trying to obliviate somebody you know nothing about." She glanced at the wand that was now right in front of her face. "Oh, and the Elder Wand too? You have been busy, Dumbledore."

Albus was too shocked to respond. He had never seen anybody move that fast before, not even Voldemort at the peak of his power. And the casual reference to the wand he had taken from Grindelwald...

"I'll make this clear. Stay away from Harry Potter. Do not try to contact him, do not approach him, do not bother him in any way. We will look after him and keep him safe. When he turns 11, send him his acceptance letter to Hogwarts - and forget any attempt to blackmail us over that, we both know that Harry must attend. Send it with somebody you trust if you like, we won't mind. Until then, stay away. You won't like what happens if you don't. Understood?"

Dumbledore nodded, hoping that the woman would release his arm before it was torn out of its socket.

"Good. In that case..." Urd frog-marched the Chief Warlock to the front door, which opened as they approached.

"Good bye, Albus. We'll probably meet again in two years time. Until then..." She shoved the old man out the door, where he staggered in an attempt to avoid falling over. She then slammed the door behind him.

"Stupid old git. He's the real reason why we're here fixing things." Urd muttered to herself as she walked back to the house.

Outside, Dumbledore took a moment to collect himself before he apparated away. _I will need to consider my next move carefully, _he thought, _starting with researching blood wards properly. If what she said is true, I'll need a new way of keeping Harry safe from Tom. Once I have more information, I can return to retrieve Harry and place him in a secure location._

* * *

><p>Urd entered the house at the back of the block and found her sisters looking over several notebooks full of text written in Divine code. She raised an eyebrow as Skuld and Belldandy looked up.<p>

"Any problems, dear sister?" Belldandy asked gently.

"Not really. He did pull his wand with the intention to obliviate me, but I put an end to that without damaging him."

Belldandy's eyes narrowed. Urd got the hint. "OK, I may have bruised his ego and hurt his arm a bit, but it was nothing permanent. I even let him keep his wand. One thing, though - he has the Elder Wand and is its current master."

Skuld looked surprised. "I thought the humans had lost Hel's little gift centuries ago. Any idea where he got it from?"

Urd shook her head. "It was a surprise to me as well. Maybe I should write to my mother and let her know that it is back in circulation. Nah, maybe not. So, how have you gone on the scanning front?"

Belldandy picked up a sheet which seemed to have a summary. "Skuld and I cast a preliminary scan from here and have used the results as a guide to tomorrow's examination. We've compiled everything into this list. Could you check it over and see if we missed anything?"

Urd took the proffered list and read it through thoroughly. Her eyebrows climbed higher and higher as she went down the page.

"Whoa. I had no idea it was this bad. This is a lot more than I thought we'd need. Anything in particular that is worrying you?"

Belldandy looked pensive. "There's something about his scar that is just not normal. It worries me, and we need to check it thoroughly. I fear we may have a lot of healing ahead of us."

Urd nodded. In this area, Belldandy truly was the expert. "Whatever you say, sis, as far as I'm concerned you're in charge of Harry's health. Now, I think we need to bring Keiichi downstairs for another planning meeting. We all need to be brought up to date with what we have done so far and what happens next - including some complications in the paperwork Skuld and I filed today."

"What complications?" Skuld asked. She hadn't bothered reading the forms she had submitted and rushed through earlier that day, she had just assumed that it was all correctly filled out and would do the job.

"Er, I think that's a story that should wait until we're all in the room together. Bell, can you fetch K1?"

Belldandy looked at her sister with a suspicious glare, before she headed upstairs towards Harry's bedroom. Urd groaned internally. _Now, how do I break it to my sister and Keiichi that they are now married under Britain's laws?_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes:<strong> There is no church at that address in Hinckley. I picked the place using Google Maps because it is close to a park.

Somebody commented that no Norwegian man would ever have the surname "Odinsdotter". Which is correct - the patronymic/matronymic system would have sons named Odinssen, daughters named Odinsdotter (although in Urd's case she may have been Hildsdotter originally). Norway abandoned the patronymic system in 1923 according to Wikipedia, which means that Violet Evans' husband would probably have been named under the patronymic system at birth but would then have had a surname chosen for him when the laws changed (this happened to my family in Sweden). To make the Norns' surname work, I've decided that poor old Thor Odinsdotter suffers from the Scandinavian version of "My Name is Sioux" thanks to some unfortunate choices on the part of his parents.


	3. Chapter 3: Doing your homework

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter or Oh My Goddess

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><p>Urd looked around the living room at the faces looking at her expectantly. <em>This is going to be stressful.<em>

"Urd? You wanted to talk to us about something?" Belldandy asked pleasantly.

Urd sighed. "Yes. OK, there is no easy way to say this so I'll cut to the chase. There is a complication in the paperwork we put together to adopt Harry."

The tension in the room suddenly went up considerably. "Complication? What kind of complication?" Skuld demanded.

"The issue relates to adoption laws in this country. Both magical and non-magical jurisdictions put stringent requirements on prospective adoptive parents in order to at least try to make sure that any adopted children go to a good home."

"Go on." Keiichi said. He had a bad feeling about this.

"One thing that both have in common is that only close family members can take guardianship without much in the way of a check. The assumption is that aunts, uncles, siblings, grandparents and so on are already known to the child or children and are therefore the best option. Which, as we have seen with Harry, is not always the case."

"Get to the point, Urd." Keiichi sighed, earning him a small glance from Belldandy.

"OK. We weren't close enough relatives for that to work. Even though we are fairly close in terms of the family tree, we had never met Harry before and are therefore not close enough for the bureaucrats. Which means we had to go the other route and a more traditional adoption. And that's where the complication arises..."

"Yes?" Skuld asked pointedly.

"Single people usually don't have a chance to adopt. So for the sake of getting Harry into our care, I've put Keiichi and Belldandy down as a married couple." Urd blurted out.

There was a short silence, which was broken by Skuld.

**"YOU DID WHAT?"**

Keiichi looked stunned. Skuld looked horrified. Belldandy looked...pretty much like normal.

"Look, this marriage only exists on the adoption forms we filed with the Registrars of Births, Deaths and Marriages in the magical and non-magical worlds. So long as nobody checks them - and thanks to our friend Albus' charms that I reinforced, nobody ever will - this information won't go any further than the filing cabinets the forms get dumped in."

"Urd, do you think you could have told us about this in advance?" Keiichi asked in a small voice.

Urd sighed again. "Yes, I could. And we would have had an argument that went on for days and wasted time."

"What do you mean, sister?" Belldandy asked.

"I mean that Keiichi here would have just about died from embarrassment on the spot and been completely useless around you at a time when we needed him to coordinate our move from Japan. And Skuld would have thrown the tantrum she is currently building up a lot earlier and disrupted that move." Urd said bluntly.

Keiichi looked like he was going to protest, but he seemed to think about it and closed his mouth. He settle on staring fixedly at his hands resting in his lap. Skuld, on the other hand, was less restrained.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?"

Urd's tone was chilly. "I mean that for all that you've come a long way in terms of accepting them, you were still opposed to Belldandy and Keiichi's relationship. Everybody else who knows them has pretty much accepted them as a couple. His family in particular have been amazing regarding it. You, little sister, seemed intent on behaving like a 10-year-old screaming about 'cooties'. Well, tough. We needed to do this for the job at hand. Whether you like it or not. Now you can either grow up and behave like the goddess you aspire to be, or you can continue to act like a brat."

Skuld opened her mouth to shout at Urd again, when she noticed that Belldandy...seemed to agree? Since when did Belldandy side with Urd against her youngest sister?

"Skuld, dear, while Urd could have been more tactful...I am afraid she is correct. Keiichi and I are bound by more than just a contract, and you were the only person who seemed incapable of accepting it. While I do wish that Urd had not just taken matters into her own hands without consulting me first, I can understand why she has done this." Belldandy's voice was as warm and friendly as ever, but there was a definite hint of steel underlying her words. Urd caught the subtle message directed at her and resolved to come up with a decent apology later.

Skuld blinked a few times, before she slumped back into her seat and started bawling. Belldandy moved over to her and hugged the youngest Norn, who promptly buried her face into her sister's shoulder.

Keiichi looked up at Urd. "So, do we need to do anything about this? Or can we leave it as it is?"

Urd paused. "We can leave it as it is. In truth, all we need is a legal fiction to allow the adoption of Harry to get through the bureaucratic process. That's been done and we probably won't have to re-fight that battle, so there's no need for more action. However..." Urd stood up, and gestured for Keiichi to follow her.

Urd went outside and shut the door behind Keiichi as he joined her.

"Time for more bluntness, Keiichi. You and Belldandy are ready for this. The two of you have been married in all but name for the past couple of years anyway, all that is required now is to make it official."

Keiichi objected. "Hey, Bell and I haven't..." He trailed off, mortally embarrassed.

Urd simply raised an eyebrow. "There's more to marriage than what happens in the bedroom, Keiichi. The relationship you two share is closer than most people could ever dream of having. Sharing yourselves with each other is just the icing on the cake now for you two. And that's speaking as somebody who has had more than her fair share of relationships that have gone to third base and beyond."

Keiichi seemed incapable of speech.

"On a more pragmatic note, it would cover our arses if you did marry her. It would mean that the cover story we created to allow us to adopt Harry would be just a little more real, and more likely to stand up to any investigation. I don't expect one, but I also know that we have a determined old wizard who desperately wants Harry back in his control. If anybody is going to expose any weaknesses in our paperwork, it'll be him."

Keiichi stared at Urd. In all of his years dealing with the mischief-loving Norn, he had rarely seen her so serious.

"I'll leave it to you. If you do propose, we can organise a proper wedding to take place in Japan next year. We could do it next month, but it might not be a good idea to take Harry travelling internationally that soon. Not to mention you should get settled into your job first. In the short-term we can get you a quick civil marriage at the local Registrar's office, and have something formal later when all your friends and family can attend." Urd grinned. "And hey, this would be the first marriage between a deity and a mortal for centuries. A lot of Bell's friends and family will want to attend as well."

Keiichi looked away into a corner of the yard for a moment, before he returned his attention to Urd.

"OK. Can you help me shop for rings tomorrow? You'll have a better idea of what I should get Belldandy."

Urd slapped Keiichi on the shoulder gently. "Hey, after that ring you got her a few years ago, you should be fine picking out an engagement ring. But it's OK, I'll help you spend your money any time you like..."

Keiichi groaned. Just what had he let himself in for this time?

* * *

><p>At Hogwarts, Dumbledore was occupying a table in the Restricted Section of the school library that the students didn't know about. There was the Restricted Section that held books that were only available to staff and students the staff considered responsible enough to be allowed access to the more dangerous magical arts, and then there was the Restricted Section that held material that was available to a select few individuals in the world.<p>

The reason was obvious once you knew what was in the special Restricted Section. These books contained magic that was illegal, downright immoral or just plain evil. Everything from a version of the Cruciatus that caused continuous pain for several hours after the spell had been terminated (Dumbledore was extremely glad that nobody apart from him even knew the existence of that particular hex) through to the most abominable sacrificial rituals.

Dumbledore was the only person on staff at Hogwarts who was allowed access. He had been granted that by a researcher at the Department of Mysteries during the first rise of Voldemort - until he had been shown the doorway hidden behind several dusty shelves in the regular Restricted Section, Dumbledore hadn't even known that the collection existed - which had surprised him, considering that he had been the Headmaster of Hogwarts for several years by that stage. His first exposure to the knowledge contained therein had horrified him. He had been tempted on more than one occasion to destroy some of the tomes he had found inside.

Not that he ever would, of course. Albus knew that sometimes knowledge of the Dark Arts was essential to properly fight against them. He had no way of knowing just what horrendous spells in what he had privately named the "Black Section" (in order to distinguish the collection from the regular Restricted Section) might be essential knowledge in some future battle against the darker elements of the magical world, and as such was not willing to rid the world of the horrors contained.

He had been amused to discover that he was the first Headmaster of Hogwarts to have been trusted with the knowledge of the existence of the Black Section. Apparently it was one secret of the school that was only ever entrusted to those who would not abuse the knowledge contained in those books, and being assigned as Headmaster was not considered an adequate test of character. Considering some of Albus' predecessors in the role, he wasn't surprised.

Right now, he was busy researching everything he could find on Blood Wards. He had been stung by Miss Odinsdotter's allegation that he knew nothing of the Blood Wards he had staked so much on - his pride alone compelled him to research the matter more fully. The rest of the Hogwarts library contained frustratingly incomplete accounts of the forbidden practice. Most books focussed on how that branch of warding magic was illegal. Others briefly discussed the differences between Blood Wards and regular wards, though most of those barely went beyond the obvious fact that Blood Wards required blood to be shed for their creation. A handful of books, found in the Restricted Section, went further and described how to cast Blood Wards but had little else.

Dumbledore knew that Lily Potter had acquired her knowledge of Blood Wards from those books in the Restricted Section, as he had allowed her access in the months leading up to the Potters' seclusion under the Fidelius at Godric's Hollow. She had stated her desire to find additional spells that could be used to protect her child from harm, and Albus had seen no reason to deny one his most loyal Order members from the research material.

What none of the books in the Restricted Section had in them was a precise description of how Blood Wards functioned once cast, or why they were banned in the first place. It had been assumed that it was the use of blood that had turned the Ministry of Magic against the Wards, but closer scrutiny revealed that to be a poor assumption. There were other blood based spells that were not illegal, even if they were officially discouraged. Some of them were for obvious reasons such as proving the identity of a person or magically sealing a contract, but Dumbledore knew of several diagnostic spells useful for detecting magical traps that required a few drops of blood and no more. If the Ministry truly had been worried about the use of blood, there would be many more spells that would have been banned alongside the Wards.

The lack of information in the Restricted Section had caused Dumbledore's current search. Mostly he had been able to remind himself of the reason why he had placed young Harry Potter with the Dursleys. The Blood Wards cast by Lily on her son required Harry to live with blood relatives of his mother, and as such the Dursleys were the only option...or so he had thought at the time. _I will have to check the claims of this Urd Odinsdotter, _Albus thought to himself grimly, _I find it hard to believe that I could have missed another part of her family, even if they were in Norway._

Albus had wanted those Blood Wards in place because they offered an incredible defence against Voldemort. Which was a key advantage of Blood Wards; their focus could be specified to an amazing degree. Dumbledore had read accounts in one of the books in the Restricted Section of people using Blood Wards to defend themselves from things as specific as death by bee sting. Albus had no doubt that by making the Blood Wards on her son protect him from Voldemort and _nothing else_, Lily had managed to create a protection strong enough to reflect the Killing Curse. A more generic ward would have been breached easily, but by putting so much power into such a tightly defined purpose...yes, Albus was sure that was what had saved Harry Potter from death in 1981.

Which still didn't answer the question of just how Blood Wards worked in practice, or why they had been banned. Though if Albus was honest with himself he was more interested in the former. He had long since learnt to ignore most of the bans on magic the Ministry imposed, recognising them as attempts by a steadily more authoritarian government to control the population it was meant to serve.

A few hours of patient search amongst the shelves of dusty dark books had rewarded the Headmaster with a tome entitled "Sanguine Protections, A Treatise On Those Most Potente Of Wards Afforded By Blood Sacrifice" by a certain Maximillian Gaunt, apparently written sometime in the 1400s. It was easily the most comprehensive book on the subject, and Dumbledore had quickly brought it to a table where he could read it under decent light.

It appeared Mr Gaunt had been an exceptionally good researcher for his time, as he had a full page of references to other works that related to Blood Wards near the start of the book. Dumbledore had quickly copied these down onto some spare parchment he had brought along for the purpose of taking notes, before he started to read the rest of the book. He would read Gaunt's thoughts on the subject first and then check the referenced works.

That had been several hours earlier, and now it was almost dawn. Dumbledore had been so engrossed by the information contained in the book that he had gone the entire night without sleep. He had now finished the book, and looked around his table to see it covered with loose sheets of parchment filled with his notes. He distractedly started to gather them up as he pondered what he had learned.

He now knew why the Ministry had banned Blood Wards in the 1600s. He also had a good idea of how they worked. Most importantly, however, he knew that he had managed to create a small nightmare in the lives of Harry Potter and the Dursleys...through ignorance.

The key element of Blood Wards was that they were very tightly bound to the people that cast them. Which was one reason why they were only truly effective on those who were related by blood to the caster. The problem was that this made Blood Wards extremely sensitive to human emotion. Albus knew that magic was usually tied to the intent of the person casting it - this was why the Cruciatus curse would only be truly effective in the hands of those who had real hate behind their magic. The Supreme Mugwump had never cast the spell and likely never would, but he suspected that even if he should find himself in a situation where he felt it was warranted that he could not muster enough hatred to power the curse properly.

Blood Wards, on the other hand, were tied to the emotions of those affected by the Wards. Tightly. Furthermore, there was feedback involved. If a person protected by Blood Wards became angry for some reason, that anger would change the nature of the wards and cause that anger to worsen over time. To compound the issue, negative emotions had a greater effect than positive.

This meant that unless a person was completely emotionally balanced for the entire time they were under Blood Wards, it was inevitable that negative emotions would warp the Wards which would in turn exacerbate the negative emotions. This process would take time, but was almost guaranteed to happen.

Gaunt had apparently felt that this was only a minor concern, but had taken the time to record a few case examples. The worst of which concerned three brothers who had been involved in an ongoing feud with a rival family. The brothers had not wanted to be involved, and had worked together to cast Blood Wards on themselves to keep themselves safe from all members of the rival family.

It had worked brilliantly at first. Over time, however, the Blood Wards were twisted by the small traces of jealousy, mistrust and general annoyance that exist in almost all family relationships. The net result was that the three brothers ended up hating each other to the point of attempting murder, whereas they had once been described as the closest friends possible.

To say that Albus Dumbledore was horrified by this information would be an understatement. He could well understand why the Ministry had banned the use of Blood Wards now. Regardless of the intent, they were extremely volatile and dangerous. After numerous cases of magical families destroying themselves with the very magic they had invoked as a protection against some threat, the Wizengamot had decreed that Blood Wards were simply too hazardous and banned them outright.

Of course, Dumbledore could see that such a ban was overkill. Short-term use of Blood Wards was fairly safe, as the problems associated with negative emotions would not have enough time to build up to a dangerous degree. If the Blood Wards on Harry Potter had been allowed to dissipate in 1981, there would have been no unfortunate consequences at all.

Of course, that hadn't happened. Dumbledore had intervened and decided to make use of something he didn't truly understand. And as a result, Harry Potter had gone to the Dursleys for protection. Albus knew that Petunia Evans had always been jealous of her younger sister and disliked magic in general, which meant that Harry had likely...

_Great Merlin! Just what did I subject Harry to for the past eight years? The Blood Wards must have been twisted beyond all recognition. No wonder that Urd Odinsdotter dispelled them. _

A yawn escaped the Headmaster, and he realised that he was dead tired after his all night research session. He resolved to sleep for a few hours, and then take a Pepper-up potion that would last him until evening.

_Much as I would like to sleep the rest of the day away, I need to investigate further. _The Headmaster thought to himself. _I need to return to the Dursleys and find out exactly how Harry has been treated since I left him in their care._

* * *

><p>When Harry woke up, he was confused. He was not in the cupboard under the stairs, that much he could tell, and this bed was a lot more comfortable than he was accustomed to. Unsure of exactly where he was, he elected to remain still until he was sure that it was safe.<p>

He carefully opened one eye a crack, just enough to perceive the rough outlines of the room he was in. Where-ever he was, it wasn't at the Dursleys' house. The decoration and paint scheme was completely different from that used at Number 4 Privet Drive.

Harry's eyes opened fully as his memories caught up with his consciousness. Dudley's birthday party - was it only the day before? It seemed like a lifetime since his aunt had pulled him out of his cell early to cook a lavish breakfast for his overweight cousin. Then the arrival of guests - family members? Talk of wizards? Showing his alleged cousins around the house, pointing out where he slept, giving an account of what his life was like with the Dursleys. Then these women dressing down his aunt and uncle, his belongings (such as they were) being packed, escorted by one of his apparent cousins - Belldandy, that was her name - to a bus, then to a train, followed by another bus, then...

Harry carefully sat up, wary of any ambush. Life had taught him to be cautious of the intentions of other people, if nothing else. His memories of the previous evening suggested that this room was in the house that Belldandy had escorted him to. The décor certainly matched what he remembered seeing.

Harry was contemplating his next move when there was a gentle knock at the door. He peered at it suspiciously, before he decided to take a risk.

"Hello?" he said, loudly enough to be heard by whoever was outside his room. The door opened, and the young woman he remembered as being Belldandy took a few steps inside. He blinked as a detail he hadn't noticed the day before became apparent - she had blue markings on her face. The one on her forehead appeared to be a narrow diamond, while there was a triangle on each cheekbone right next to her eyes.

"Ah, you're awake. I thought you might be up at this time. Did you sleep well?" She said in a friendly tone.

"Ah, yes." Harry replied. He thought of saying more, but could not think of anything suitable to add. _I wonder if they want me to cook breakfast for them like the Dursleys did._

"Would you like some breakfast? Everybody else is starting to get ready for the day, I thought you might like to join us for some food."

"Er, OK. Do you want me to...?" Harry trailed off. Belldandy's smile dimmed just a little bit.

"Oh, that's OK Harry. I'll cook breakfast today - I usually cook for us all. Is there anything you'd like?"

Harry blinked. This was the first time anybody had asked him what he wanted to eat. Usually the choice was made for him. "Um, bacon and eggs?" He asked tentatively.

Belldandy seemed to consider this. "Maybe a small portion on toast for now, it is very rich and you might get sick eating a lot of it. You can have some cereal after that if you're still hungry."

Harry just nodded. He was still wary of this stranger.

"OK then, you'll find a dressing gown and slippers by your bed. Come down when you're ready and you can be re-introduced to everyone." With that, Belldandy exited the room, closing the door behind her with a small click of the latch.

Harry looked around his room and saw where the dressing gown and slippers had been left. Clambering out of his bed, which was quite an exercise considering that the bedding was a lot thicker and softer than the basic blankets he was used to, he quickly donned the aforementioned garments and opened his bedroom door.

Outside, he saw a corridor that led to a set of stairs that led down. Harry decided that the temptation of breakfast was strong enough to overcome his natural paranoia, and he ventured downstairs and followed his nose to where food appeared to be available.

The house had a large kitchen, and traditionally breakfast was served on the kitchen table. Belldandy had claimed this table as a working space, and was serving food in the dining room that was immediately next to the kitchen.

As Harry entered, he saw the rest of the occupants of the house. A young man, Asian by appearance, was chewing absently on a piece of toast while he read a book he had pinned to the table with his elbow. An apparently teenaged girl with long black hair and blue tear-drop shaped markings on her face was digging into a bowl of some sort of sugary breakfast cereal. An older tan woman with silver hair and three blue triangles on her face was leaning back in her chair, nursing what appeared to be a cup of tea. All three looked up as Harry entered.

"...hello?" Harry said tentatively.

"Ah, hello. You must be Harry. Welcome. I am Keiichi." The young man said with a heavy accent. He was also a little hesitant in his speech.

At that moment Belldandy appeared from the kitchen carrying a plate. "There you are, Harry. Come over to the table, I have your breakfast here. You met everybody except Keiichi yesterday, but I think we should all reintroduce ourselves."

Harry timidly walked to a vacant chair at the table and sat down, at which point Belldandy placed his breakfast in front of him. Realising that he was in fact quite hungry, Harry dug in with some enthusiasm as Belldandy moved around the table next to the others.

"First of all, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Keiichi Morisato. This is my older sister Urd, and this is my younger sister Skuld. My name is Belldandy Odinsdotter."

Harry swallowed his current mouthful of food and gingerly raised one hand to wave. "Hi. I guess you know who I am?"

"Yes," the woman identified as Urd said, "Harry James Potter. Just to clarify what we said yesterday - Belldandy, Skuld and I are your second cousins. That means that our father was your mother's cousin. We share great grandparents. With me so far?"

"I think so," Harry said, "so my grandparents would have been your great-aunts and great-uncles?"

"Some of them, anyway," Urd agreed, "only those we were related to by blood though."

"The reason we haven't met before is that our grandmother moved from England to Norway after the Second World War," Belldandy stated, "we grew up there. I met Keiichi in Japan when I went there on an exchange program."

Keiichi nodded. "I was lucky to meet Belldandy. Please excuse my English, I know enough to understand most things but I need to improve before I can truly cope." He held up his book, showing Harry a cover with Japanese text on it. "This book is to help me improve my English."

Harry nodded as he kept eating. The food was good, and he was really quite hungry.

"Keiichi recently got a job with Triumph Motorcycles here in Hinckley," Urd put in, "and we all decided to tag along. We knew we had family here in the United Kingdom, so we decided to look them up when we arrived." She grimaced. "I have to say that of those we have met so far, you're the only family member that I'm willing to claim as a true relative."

Harry smiled slightly. He could understand the sentiment.

"Because your other relatives were not...taking care of you properly, we have moved to take over your guardianship." Belldandy said. "I am sorry that we just took you away without asking you first, but the sooner we could get you away from that place the better."

"That's OK," Harry said, "I never liked living there. I am happy to be away from my...relatives."

Harry noticed as the expressions on everybody else's faces hardened for a moment, before they all relaxed. "Yes, well," Urd started, "you're done with that lot. No need to go back. Now there's one other thing we needed to talk about this morning. How much do you remember of the row we had with your aunt and uncle yesterday?"

"Um, most of it, I think. Why?" Harry replied.

"Remember what I said when they called you a freak?" Urd asked gently.

"Um, you said something about me being a..." Harry trailed off.

"Wizard. Yes, Harry, you are a wizard. By which I mean that you are a person capable of using magic." Urd said seriously.

Harry blinked, and looked around the table. Everybody was looking at him soberly.

"Magic? But that doesn't exist..." He started. Belldandy shook her head.

"No, Harry, magic is very real. Let me demonstrate." With that, the middle sister waved a hand over the table. The tea pot that had been the centrepiece of the table setting lift into the air, before it moved over to Harry. Pausing at his place on the table, it poured tea into Harry's cup before it floated back to its original position.

Harry was stunned. "Um..."

"No wires, kid. Watch this." Urd said with an impish grin. She snapped her fingers, and suddenly the tea pot was replaced with a stuffed toy.

"Urd! Please don't transform items at the table." Belldandy scolded. Urd rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers again. The stuffed toy promptly returned to being a tea pot.

"...magic is real?" Harry asked. Everybody else just nodded.

"Yes, Harry, magic is very real. And you are one of the lucky people who is able to use it. Not everybody has the ability, it is something that you are born with." Belldandy explained.

"And my aunt and uncle hated me because I..." Harry trailed off again. This was a lot to take in.

Urd sighed. "Yes. They dislike magic intently. In fact they pretty much hate everything that is different from them or that they consider to be "non-British". Which includes a lot of the world, when you think about it. That prejudice led to them treating you...poorly."

Harry could tell that Urd had other ways of describing his upbringing at the hands of the Dursleys, no doubt including words that Dudley and his friends used when no adults were around.

"Because you have access to magic, you must learn how to use it properly. Left untrained, you could hurt yourself or others by accident with your powers. We would like to help teach you how to use your magic properly, but we can only offer. Would you like to learn?"

Harry's heart leapt. Real magic! "Yes, of course!"

"Good attitude, kid!" Urd said with a wicked grin. "Just be careful you don't get too carried away. Magic requires patience and care, otherwise you could do a lot of damage unintentionally. Skuld can attest to that."

Skuld glared at Urd, before she sighed and turned to Harry. "She's right, unfortunately. I'm still learning to use my magic properly as well."

Harry nodded, and then looked at Keiichi. The young man shook his head.

"I cannot use magic, Harry. It does not really upset me. I can teach you other things."

Harry nodded. "I guess magic isn't very common then."

Belldandy nodded. "That is correct. It is probably more widespread than you might imagine, but the number of people who can use magic in Britain is a small part of the population."

"All three of us can use magic, Harry. And that's the other reason why we never met you until yesterday." Urd put in.

Harry was puzzled. "Why?"

Urd shrugged. "Roughly 300 years ago, the magical world felt threatened by non-magical people. Magical children were often persecuted because of their abilities. Religious authorities often caused witch burnings to take place. The Salem Witch Trials in North America were the final straw. Because of that, the magical people of Europe came together and created what is called the Statute of Secrecy. This was meant to keep the magical world separate from the non-magical world. Other nations outside of Europe joined the Statute over the following years."

Belldandy picked up the tale. "When our grandmother moved from England to Norway, she had no idea magic existed. Neither did our grandfather. They were both surprised when their children were identified as being magical. In Norway, our father and aunt are called First Generation. Here in Britain, they would be called muggleborn."

Urd continued. "Magical people here in Britain call people who do not have magic by the slightly insulting term of "muggles". They would call your uncle a muggle, for example. "Muggleborn" refers to any magical child born of non-magical parents. I dislike the term, as it is just a bit insulting."

Belldandy nodded. "Because our grandparents did not know of any magical relatives here in Britain, they were bound by the Statute of Secrecy to keep the magical world hidden from their own family. The easiest way to do that, sadly, was to lose contact over time. This is why we never met until yesterday."

Harry nodded. "Is the Statute important?" He asked.

Urd snorted, earning herself a stern look from Belldandy. "It depends on who you ask, kid. Personally I think the world has moved on to a point where we could do away with the Statute with minimal fuss, but the magical governments of the world disagree. From your point of view, the punishments for violating the Statute are fairly strict so it is a good idea to obey it."

"What do I have to..." Harry started to ask. Belldandy came to his assistance.

"The most important rule is to never use magic in front of anybody who is not aware of the magical world. Which is most non-magical people. Keiichi has no magic, but because he and I are engaged he is allowed to know. His sister, on the other hand, is not allowed to know - not even if Keiichi and I get married."

"That doesn't seem fair," Harry said with a frown. Belldandy nodded.

"No, it isn't, but that is the law and we must obey it. Hopefully it will change one day. Apart from not using magic in front of non-magical people, you cannot tell them about magic either."

Urd grinned. "Sounds pretty simple, right? It can be hard at times to avoid the temptation. Don't worry about it, we'll help you learn how to manage your magic and the Statute."

Harry nodded. It seemed fairly simple.

"Urd and I will teach you how to use your magic, as well as introduce you to the magical world so that you know what is out there. Once the school year starts, you will attend a local school for your non-magical education as well. Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to relax and have fun. We won't take up all your time with lessons." Belldandy informed Harry with a reassuring smile.

"We'll also have some other lessons for you here at home." Urd continued. "Skuld will teach you everything you need to know about modern technology."

"That's right," Skuld interrupted, "I may still be learning to use my magic, but I am the best when it comes to combining magic and technology!"

Urd resumed as if Skuld had not said anything. "Keiichi will probably teach you a thing or two about motorcycles and other motor related things. He's good at that stuff."

"Really?" Harry asked, his face lighting up. "I have a lot of dreams about a flying motorbike, I've always wanted one."

Keiichi smiled a little uncertainly. "I do not know about flying motorcycles, but I can teach you to ride a normal one."

"Flying motorcycles are my forté!" Skuld said enthusiastically. She wilted at the glares she received from both of her sisters and Keiichi. "Well, maybe once you've learned how to ride a normal bike."

Urd sighed. Sometimes there was no helping her youngest sibling. "Right now, though, we need to check you out. We want to be sure that you have no problems with your health, so we'll be using some magical scans to give you a thorough check-up. Is that OK?"

Harry paused. "It won't hurt, will it?"

Belldandy shook her head. "No, Harry, it will be painless. We just want to be sure that you aren't suffering from any long-term problems caused by your previous guardians."

Harry could understand that, even as the embarrassment started. He had a few scars that he was ashamed of, and they weren't on his forehead.

Urd turned to Belldandy. "Will you need my help, Bell? I think we managed to compile everything into one process."

Belldandy nodded. "With the work we did last night, I think I can manage this with Skuld's help if you are going to be busy."

Urd returned the nod. "It isn't anything that can't be put off until later if you need a hand, but if you're alright with Skuld's help then Keiichi and I can get an early start on things. Is that OK?"

Keiichi just nodded. Belldandy stood to take Harry's plate - with a start, he realised that he had eaten everything without noticing.

"That will be fine, dear sister. Skuld and I will draw a type 3 circle of healing in the nave of the church and use it to perform the scan we devised. That will allow you and Keiichi to go about your business."

Urd stood up as well. "Thanks, Bell, that'll save us time later. Are you ready, K1?"

Keiichi placed a bookmark in his textbook and hauled himself to his feet. "Just give me a few minutes to get ready and I will be right with you. Are we taking the bus?"

Urd seemed to consider it. "Probably. You don't have a sidecar yet and we'll probably have bags to carry home later. It's either the bus or we call for a taxi."

"Buses are cheaper," Keiichi agreed, before he turned to Harry. "It was nice to finally meet you, Harry," he stated, "I will see you again later."

Harry blinked. "Thank you."

* * *

><p>At Privet Drive in Little Whinging, an old man was walking at a slow pace away from the house he had just been visiting. He wasn't sure whether he was angry, depressed or both. His investigation into life at Number 4 had been...enlightening.<p>

Dumbledore had known in advance that the Dursleys weren't likely to welcome Harry into their family with open arms, but he had never suspected that anybody could be so inhuman to a small child. The Dursleys had welcomed the Headmaster of Hogwarts with their usual charm, which involved insults and threats. Albus had originally wanted to have a calm discussion with Harry's relatives, starting with an explanation of what the Blood Wards had been doing, an apology for inadvertently inflicting such a volatile and dangerous type of magic on them, before interviewing them about what had actually happened to Harry since the 1st of November 1981.

The hostile and obstinate behaviour of the Dursley family had scuppered that plan. Ultimately he was forced to cast a Petrificus Totalus on all three and conduct a full legilimens scan. He hated doing it, as it reminded him of the muggle-baiting that had been rampant during his youth, but he needed answers and he needed them fast.

Trawling through the memories of the Dursleys had taken the better part of four hours to complete, and the experience had left Dumbledore in his current state. Apparently people like Vernon and Petunia were incapable of keeping their ingrained bigotry out of the way of common decency, and the result was that Harry's life at Number 4 Privet Drive had been miserable. Albus now had images of Harry being beaten by his aunt for minor failings, beaten by his uncle for crimes committed by Dudley, rampant bullying from Dudley and his cronies, plus a few attacks from bulldogs owned by Vernon's sister. Coupled with being forced to live under the stairs, overwork and not enough food and the whole case looked like something that could keep the Daily Prophet occupied for months.

It hadn't taken Dumbledore long to realise that the abuse had gone undetected thanks to the charm he had used to make Harry's official documentation - both magical and muggle - disappear into the background. Reports from teachers regarding a possible case of child abuse ended up forgotten in dusty filing cabinets, which meant that nothing was ever followed up. Harry's teachers had evidently given up after a few years of trying with no tangible outcome.

Dumbledore was sorely tempted to visit unto the Dursleys some long overdue punishment for their frankly barbaric behaviour, but he restrained himself. He himself held no small amount of responsibility for this mess. Even if he had never intended for Harry to be abused the way he had been, the Supreme Mugwump's failure to research the Blood Wards that had underpinned a large part of his plans had been a significant contributing factor.

Dumbledore also didn't want to take justice into his own hands. Down that road lay the temptation to follow the "might makes right" attitude that Grindelwald had used to justify his campaign to enslave all of humanity to the whims of a powerful elite. For their own good, of course.

No, the Chief Warlock had more important things to do than apply chronically overdue attitude adjustments to bigoted muggles. First and foremost of which was to come up with a plan to try and salvage something from this wreck, and get his overall strategy back on track. He had no illusions about what needed to be done, and the current situation would be a large obstacle to the final defeat of Thomas Marvolo Riddle.

The path to that destination was obvious. Riddle had done something to keep his soul from moving on after the destruction of his body, and Harry was the key to undoing it. The Prophecy all but said it outright. Unfortunately, Harry would almost certainly not have the time to train to his full potential before he was forced to confront Voldemort again. That meant that Harry would need allies to help him fight the Dark Lord, and guidance in what to do.

Albus planned to provide allies in the form of the Order of the Phoenix. The Headmaster would then supply the guidance required. But that meant he needed Harry's trust. The obvious way to get that would have been to raise Harry himself. Circumstances, however, dictated otherwise. With three important roles, he would not have the time to properly care for a child. Additionally, raising the Boy-Who-Lived himself would have made Harry very prominent in society, and an obvious target for Voldemort's "former" followers.

This led to the other reason why Harry was left at the Dursleys. Albus had fully expected them to not welcome Harry into their family, denying him links to the muggle world. Then Dumbledore could enter the scene and provide Harry with all the friends, family and care he needed. The Headmaster would then be in a position to take the role of Kindly Old Mentor, and thereby gain Harry's trust and be able to direct him down the right path.

Not that he was entirely sure what the right path was yet. There were still too many unknowns, and attempts to fill in the blanks had been fruitless so far. He had a few ideas of just how Riddle might have been able to avoid a permanent death, but until he had more evidence those ideas would remain unproven hypotheses.

In the meantime, he needed a way to get Harry back into a position which Dumbledore could control. Time to visit the Ministry of Magic and find some loopholes in the paperwork submitted by that Urd Odinsdotter.

* * *

><p>Urd had a wide variety of activities she would get up to when bored. Needling Skuld was always good, as it invariably alleviated boredom rapidly. Developing exciting new potions was another great way to keep herself occupied, especially as she would occasionally come up with something that was equally good at easing the tedium. Like that love potion she had slipped into Tamiya's beer at a recent party causing him to chase after Otaki...until Satoko stepped in.<p>

One diversion she could pursue almost anywhere, however, was her practice of observing people. It was part of her job as well; granting wishes required good interview skills, and that required the ability to read somebody to understand the messages they gave without saying anything. But Urd found the practice fascinating on its own, and engaged in it on a regular basis.

Right now she was observing one Keiichi Morisato as they sat at the back of a bus. He was unusually preoccupied, looking at the passing scenery without actually seeing it.

"Something on your mind, Keiichi?" Urd asked in a breezy tone. She spoke Japanese to make it easier for Keiichi.

Keiichi turned to look at her, and gave a small grin. "Lots. There's a lot that's happened recently and I'm having a hard time keeping on top of it all."

Urd nodded. "Moving from Japan to England, leaving all your friends and family behind. Starting a new job in a workplace that only uses English. Moving into a new home, helping Bell set the place up, meeting Harry for the first time, and now I've just sprung your bogus marriage on you without warning..."

"Yes, that didn't help things. Even if I can understand why you did it that way, it has ramped up the pressure. And then hearing about what young Harry went through with his relatives..."

"Nasty business, that." Urd agreed. "Still, we need you on top of your game. So let's take it step by step. What is the first thing you want to do during this shopping trip of ours?"

Keiichi looked thoughtful. "Buy Belldandy a proper engagement ring."

Urd smiled. "I like your sense of priorities. After that, what else needs to be done that we can do today?"

Keiichi leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. "Skuld and Belldandy have both talked about renovating our new home, and we can certainly use more space. Skuld actually suggested remodelling the church itself to give us more living space. So maybe we need to find a good architect."

Urd nodded, even though Keiichi couldn't see her. "I have to agree. Especially as Belldandy will want to have children pretty much as soon as you two are married."

Keiichi's eyes slammed open and he turned towards Urd rapidly. "Are you serious?"

Urd nodded again. "Very. Amongst other things, Belldandy is one of the goddesses of fertility. She's got the maternal urge in a big way, and will have no trouble satisfying it - no empty cribs for you two. Be prepared for a large family, because with Bell it is pretty much a given."

Keiichi had gone pale. "Somehow I knew children would come up as an issue at some point, but this is..."

"Focus, Keiichi. That's something that'll happen later, and you'll have time to talk to Belldandy about it. Just one bit of advice: don't say no unless you've got an exceptionally good reason for not wanting to have kids, because you could hurt Bell badly if you simply don't want to disrupt your lifestyle."

Keiichi hung his head for a brief moment, before he returned his gaze to Urd. "OK. I'll definitely have to talk to Belldandy later about this. Back to what you said earlier - things we have to do today. The only other thing I think we need to get a start on is purchasing a car."

Urd raised an eyebrow. "You just got a bike, Keiichi. Why a car as well?"

"The bike made sense in Japan, because it was only ever the two of us travelling around. The bike and sidecar were perfect for that. Now we have Harry, and apparently more kids on the way eventually. We need more transport space that doesn't involve public transport." Keiichi explained.

Urd inclined her head. "I see you've thought about this. Have you any idea what car you want?"

"This will mostly be for Belldandy, though I assume you and I will drive it a fair bit as well. Skuld can't drive, can she?"

"Not yet," Urd said with a sigh, "that's something she would have learned during her field agent training. Which she skipped when she came down here chasing after Belldandy. One day we'll have to force her to complete the training. For the moment, though, the answer is that Skuld can't drive."

"We could sign her up for driving lessons around here," Keiichi mused, "it'd be right for somebody her age. At any rate, as it is for Belldandy I thought a station wagon would be the best choice. I think they call them estates here in Britain."

Urd considered this. "You're thinking about having cargo space, right?"

Keiichi nodded. "Primarily. As for which car in particular - Urd, be honest with me for a moment. Just how big was that lottery win of yours?"

Urd stifled a groan. "OK, that's the legal fiction that explains why we suddenly have large amounts of money available. The short answer is that I have arranged for us to have the money we need to get ourselves established here. Exactly how much that is depends on how much we need. But be careful, Keiichi, the emphasis is on "need". Don't go buying Ferraris all of a sudden."

Keiichi's eyes widened. "Whoa. So I take it we won't need a loan to get the renovations done?"

Urd shook her head. "We could pay for it all in cash if we wanted. Just don't get carried away."

Keiichi contemplated this. "I've got an idea."

Urd glared at him. "What?"

Keiichi pointed out a familiar logo affixed to a car dealership. "That one. They make good cars, and they have one in particular that would be nice to have. How about we visit and have a look?"

"After you have the ring, Keiichi, and not before." Urd said firmly. "I won't have you going off on a petrol-head craze before we have the important business done."

Keiichi grinned. "Sure. Though it probably won't take us very long..."

Urd did not stifle the next groan.

* * *

><p>At the church, Belldandy and Skuld were drawing a circle on the floor using chalk. Various runes were drawn in specific locations around the circle. Once it was finished, a larger circle was drawn that completely encompassed the first circle and the runes.<p>

Harry was off to one side, watching curiously. This, apparently, was all to allow his relatives to run a scan of his health. Skuld was now off to one side, setting up some sort of computer station. Cables ran from the computer to various instruments placed around the chalk diagram on the floor. After some minutes spent staring fixedly at the screen, Skuld looked over the Belldandy and gave her a thumbs up.

Belldandy addressed Harry. "OK, Harry, we are ready to begin. Please step over the circle without disturbing any of the chalk lines, and then stand in the centre. Once you are in position, we'll tell you to stop there. After that you'll just have to stand still for a few minutes. OK?"

Harry nodded, and gingerly stepped over the chalk lines and walked to the centre of the circle.

"OK, stop right there! Perfect! We can start at any time, Belldandy!" Skuld called over.

"Fine. Please commence the scan." Belldandy replied.

Skuld started to type commands into her computer, and the entire diagram on the floor suddenly light up like it was a neon display. Harry froze where he stood - he didn't want to do anything that might upset things.

After what felt like an eternity, the light faded and Harry was left standing in the middle of a chalk circle again. He looked at Belldandy with a questioning expression, noticing that she had walked around to join Skuld. She smiled back.

"All done, Harry! You can join us over here now. No need to worry about the circle now, I'll be cleaning it off the floor fairly soon."

Harry walked over and peered at Skuld's computer screen. It was filled with incomprehensible text, graphs and diagrams. Skuld looked up and gave Harry a quick smile.

"We got everything we wanted, but it will take time to process all the results. Belldandy, is there something Harry can do until this is done...?"

Belldandy put a finger on her chin as she thought. "We could start improving the garden. Harry, would you like to help me in the garden until lunch time?"

Harry was quietly stunned. Normally he was just ordered to do the gardening by himself. "That sounds good." He replied. Maybe he could find out a bit more about his cousin.

As Belldandy and Harry walked in the general direction of the yard, Skuld's smile slipped and she returned her attention to her screen.

"Those readings for the scar on his forehead are all wrong. I think we'll need to get an expert."

* * *

><p>The Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards was having a frustrating time at the Ministry of Magic. He'd been able to get access to all of the files that pertained to one Harry James Potter easily enough. He had cast the charms that kept them obscure after all, bypassing them was child's play...even if somebody else had apparently augmented them. He hadn't even known that augmenting charms like that was possible, it was definitely something to look into later.<p>

The problem was that the files didn't contain what he wanted from them, namely a legal loophole that would allow Dumbledore to take guardianship of Harry away from the Odinsdotters. The forms were just too complete, too thorough, too...perfect.

The family relationship was clearly established and proven, with numerous supporting documents not only cited but provided. The character of Belldandy Odinsdotter was also clearly established, with numerous references from impeccable sources. They were all in Norway, naturally, but Albus recognised several of the names and knew that they would stand up in even the most biased Wizengamot court.

The one discrepancy that Dumbledore had noticed was that the muggle files had referred to Belldandy Morisato, while the magical files had her listed as Belldandy Odinsdotter. Unfortunately that wasn't much to go on, as choosing to go by different names in the magical and muggle worlds was not uncommon. Especially as Belldandy appeared to have simply chosen to use her maiden name in the magical world.

It didn't help that Dumbledore's original role in placing Harry with the Dursleys was...legally questionable. Strictly speaking, Albus had no business interfering with the placement of the heir to Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter. Harry James Potter should have been left in the care of his godfather until the will of James and Lily Potter could be probated and the terms carried out.

Grabbing the child from the ruins of the family home less than an hour after the deaths of his parents and spiriting him away to a new home in the small hours of the morning was a long way from the correct process. Albus had no doubt that if the entire chain of events that led to Harry being placed with the Dursleys were ever questioned in court, he would personally end up being censured at best or jailed at worst.

So, the legal avenue was blocked off. He might be able to overpower the Odinsdotter sisters and forcibly take Harry away, but that would be messy and might attract undue attention. Not to mention that after witnessing the wards settling in at their residence in Hinckley, Albus wasn't sure that a direct attack would be successful. He would need allies to help him achieve his goal, and that would mean many awkward explanations that he didn't want to make.

Albus sighed. Sometimes the world conspired against you. _The law won't help me, force is extremely inadvisable, I have only one option left. _Dumbledore rose from the table he had been using to review documents and suppressed a grimace.

_I'm going to have to...negotiate._

* * *

><p>Urd stared at Keiichi. Keiichi stared back with a broad grin on his face. In the background, a car salesman waited with an expectant look.<p>

"Are you serious?" Urd asked. Keiichi merely nodded.

"You do realise that this is not a station wagon like you originally wanted, right?"

Keiichi just nodded again.

Urd sighed. "Fine. I'll go organise a bank cheque."

* * *

><p>Belldandy and Harry were having a pleasant time in the garden at St Francis Close. Belldandy had insisted that Harry dress appropriately to the weather, which had presented difficulties when they examined Harry's meagre collection of Dudley's cast-offs. In the end, Belldandy had declared that an entire new wardrobe was in order, and that they would just make do for the moment.<p>

Harry had realised that working with Belldandy in the garden was an entirely different experience from tending to Aunt Petunia's garden at Privet Drive. Aunt Petunia had viewed the garden as a status symbol, something to show off to the neighbours and hopefully win awards. All decisions regarding the garden revolved around keeping up with fashion and the demands of peer pressure.

Belldandy, on the other hand, was only interested in creating the best garden for the yard. She was not interested in the opinions of others, only in how well everything grew and co-existed. She was also completely bereft of the perfectionist attitude that Aunt Petunia had in spades. No shouting about trimming the rose bushes an inch too low or mowing the lawn in the wrong pattern. Instead there was pleasant conversation about the various merits of different plants and warm encouragement when Harry made suggestions about the overall layout.

They had stopped on two occasions to get themselves cool drinks, as it was just a little warm outside. This was far preferable to Harry's memories of suffering heat stroke on at least one occasion when he had been forced to work in the garden constantly for 6 hours with no breaks on a sweltering day. During their short breaks, Belldandy had continued their conversation regarding the garden and her future plans for it.

Inside, Skuld had made a lot of progress with the data gathered from Harry's scan. The information regarding his scar had been set to one side, and she had finished the analysis of the rest of the results. Now she needed input from both Belldandy and Urd, as she was unsure as to how to address the various problems she had identified with Harry's overall physical condition.

Skuld's contemplation of Harry's health was interrupted by Belldandy's voice. "Skuld, dear, I am serving lunch. Please come and join us."

Skuld eagerly locked down her computer as she set off for the dining room. Belldandy's cooking was not to be missed.

* * *

><p>In a café across town, Keiichi and Urd were sitting down to a light lunch. They had finished most of their business, and were taking a quick break before investigating to see if any architects opened their offices on a Saturday. Neither was particular optimistic about their chances.<p>

Urd glared at the car parked nearby. "You get to explain that to Belldandy, Keiichi. Understood?"

"Sure thing Urd." Keiichi responded lazily. He was trying to figure out British café food.

"I swear, you petrol heads...still got the ring?"

Keiichi's attention was suddenly riveted on Urd. "Of course. Did you think I'd lose it?"

Urd smirked. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

"I suppose not. Apart from the architects, what else do we have to do?"

Urd looked thoughtful. "Not a great deal today. We'll need to get Harry registered for school, but that'll wait until Monday. We'll probably have to do the same with the architects if my understanding of Britain is correct. There is some stuff that I have to do in the magical world, but I think Monday or Tuesday would be the best time for that. Why?"

Keiichi looked slightly nervous. "I'd like to get home and do this properly sooner rather than later. The longer I wait the more likely it is that I'll chicken out."

Urd looked sympathetic. It wasn't an expression Keiichi was used to. "Buck up, K1. You'll do fine. Let's ditch the idea of finding an architect today and just head home. Personally I can't wait to see how Belldandy reacts to the car you bought her."

Keiichi relaxed. "I think she'll be fine. Shall we go?"

* * *

><p>Albus Dumbledore was back at his office at Hogwarts. He was marshalling his thoughts as he wrote a letter to one Urd Odinsdotter. He didn't want to offend his correspondent, but at the same time he didn't want to appear to be begging. Constructing his message took time, and he did not finish until late in the afternoon. Summoning Fawkes, he directed his companion to deliver the letter when he would not be seen by any muggles. Fawkes disappeared with a flash of fire, and Dumbledore settled down to deal with the paperwork he should have been looking at when he was chasing after Harry.<p>

* * *

><p>It was mid-afternoon when Keiichi and Urd entered the new home of the Norns. Harry and Belldandy had spent their time after lunch looking around the house coming up with ideas for the upcoming renovations, while Skuld was doing her best to reconstruct Banpei and Sigel. Skuld had been forced to disassemble her beloved robots to get them to the UK, and today was the first opportunity she'd had to try and rebuild them.<p>

"Hello dear," Belldandy greeted her almost-fiancé cheerfully, "did you get what you wanted?"

"Er, yes." Keiichi said in Japanese. "I think we were successful. Actually there's something you should see outside, care to join me?"

"Certainly dear." Belldandy promptly switched to English. "Come on Harry, let's see what Keiichi has."

With Skuld and Urd trailing behind, Keiichi led Belldandy and Harry outside to the St Francis Close side of the property. Parked on the side of the road was a brand new car.

"What is this, Keiichi?" Belldandy asked in English. It was a reminder to Keiichi to use English around Harry.

"I thought a car would be useful for us here, so Urd and I bought this one this morning. It was a bit of a lucky find as the dealer had it in stock already. This is a BMW M5. I wanted a station wagon but they did not have any." Keiichi explained.

Harry and the sisters examined the car, though Urd had seen it already and was less interested.

"I have my motorcycle, so I thought this would be mostly for you Belldandy." Keiichi carried on.

Belldandy turned to Keiichi with a radiant smile. "Thank you so much! This will make things a lot easier." With that she hugged him tightly.

Urd's eyebrow twitched. _That's my sister, over the moon about Keiichi's thoughtfulness and not a moment spent thinking about what this thing must have cost._

Keiichi was blushing from the close contact with Belldandy. "There is something else..." He started to say in Japanese, his grasp of English failing due to the proximity to his almost-fiancée.

"Let's go back inside for that," Urd broke in, speaking English to keep Harry in the loop.

Once inside, they all gathered in the living room. Belldandy looked to Keiichi expectantly.

"What is it, dear?"

Keiichi started to say something, then looked at Urd. Urd nodded and decided to have mercy.

"Just say it in Japanese, Keiichi, I'll translate for Harry as you go."

Keiichi nodded, and turned back to Belldandy.

"Um, I've never been very good at this kind of thing, but I think it is time and...I'm not putting this very well." Keiichi paused, swallowed hard before he pulled something out of a pocket and went down on one knee before Belldandy.

"We've been together for several years now and I've finally decided to make this official. Belldandy, will you marry me?" With that, he opened a small container, revealing that it contained an exquisite diamond ring.

Belldandy put both hands over her mouth in shock, before she squealed out a "YES" before gathering Keiichi up in a hug. Harry was stunned, Urd looked proud and Skuld appeared to be on the verge of tears.

Eventually Belldandy disengaged enough to allow Keiichi to put the ring on her finger, at which point she kissed him. Hard.

"Let's leave them to it for the moment, they probably need some privacy." Urd whispered to Harry and Skuld. "Let's see if we can't cook something special for them tonight..."

Harry, Urd and Skuld departed in the direction of the kitchen, unnoticed by the newly engaged pair.

* * *

><p>Author's notes: first of all, many thanks to the tireless and endlessly patient people at Caer Azkaban. You all know who you are, and thank you all for answering my barrage of questions regarding life in the UK during the 1980s.<p>

I originally wanted Keiichi to purchase a BMW M5 Touring, as it was a fast station wagon/estate and Keiichi is the kind of petrol head to go for that sort of thing. Sadly the Touring model didn't enter the market until 1992, so he has the sedan for now.

In the next chapter: stuff happens. I'll know what when I write it.


	4. Chapter 4: Changing of the Guard

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Harry Potter or Oh My Goddess

* * *

><p>When Urd finally retired to her bedroom after several hours of celebration, she was only slightly surprised to see a phoenix waiting for her. She had read Dumbledore's file, after all, and knew that the phoenix currently known as "Fawkes" had been accompanying the aged wizard for some time.<p>

Well, she had read all of the file that had been made available to her. _I hate trouble-shooting prophecies, they always withhold information because "it might invalidate the prophecy", bunch of useless nit-pickers..._

Forcing such thoughts from her mind, she gave the immortal firebird a wide grin. "Hello Fawkes. I have been expecting you."

Fawkes trilled a bit of song. To a human it would have uplifted their soul while giving an impression of being a question. For Urd, Goddess Second Class (limited), Norn of the Past, it was just another language she had learned...well, a while ago. Even goddesses don't like to talk about their age.

"Don't be like that, Fawkes. I know that you know who I am. Of course I was expecting you."

Fawkes sang a bit more. Urd sighed.

"He's using you for letter duty? Well, I suppose it would be more secure than those owls they seem to favour, but really. Using a phoenix for the post? Actually I shouldn't be surprised. The last human who could speak to phoenixes died centuries ago. It was a bit much to expect you to be relaying a message directly."

Fawkes warbled sadly. Urd nodded in agreement.

"I'm afraid there's no helping that. Still, if the old man has seen fit to write to me I had better look at what he has to say."

Fawkes squawked loudly.

"I'll call him whatever I want. And he is an old man. Now are we going to chat all night or can I read the letter now?"

Fawkes sulkily presented a leg, allowing access to the letter. Urd first cast a quick charm, which revealed that no compulsion or tracking charms had been cast on the missive before it had been sent. Fawkes glared at Urd, who huffed in response.

"I don't trust him an inch, Fawkes. Now, let's see what we've got here..."

_Dear Urd Odinsdotter,_

_I write to you in regards to our mutual concern, Harry James Potter. Following our recent discussion, I have researched the topic of Blood Wards extensively and have come to the conclusion that I have made several significant mistakes regarding their use. This has led me to believe that Harry should not return to the Dursley household for the foreseeable future._

_Nevertheless, his future does require further thought and discussion. I hope to meet with you and Harry in order that this matter be resolved. Please send a time for a meeting to me via my companion Fawkes._

_Yours,_

_Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Order of Merlin (First Class), Grand Sorceror, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

Urd snorted gently. _Oh yeah, I'll just invite you along to a face to face meeting with the boy you have utterly failed for the past 8 years. Not going to happen, old man._

The tan goddess looked directly at Fawkes. "Does he seriously think I'm going to dance to his tune?"

Fawkes gave the phoenix equivalent of a shrug. Urd sighed and grabbed a pen and some notepaper.

"Give me a minute, I'll have a response ready for you shortly."

* * *

><p>Albus Dumbledore was having another late evening, although this one would hopefully not see him stay awake until dawn like he had the previous night. He was anxiously waiting for a response to the message he had sent to Harry's new guardians, and as the hours passed his anxiety increased. He had tried to fill in the hours by attending to paperwork on his desk (he still marvelled at how that particularly muggle expression had wormed its way into a magical society that still used little other than parchment) but that diversion had come to an abrupt halt an hour before when he had achieved that particular form of nirvana that resulted from having finished the entire backlog.<p>

Several portraits of previous headmasters had passed out in shock. Unfortunately this rare and delightful occurrence had done little to ease Albus' stress, and he had now taken to pacing his office.

_If they aren't willing to talk, I'll have no option left but to resort to force. _The old man thought to himself. _And that will require allies. Which will require explanations. Which risks security. There are too many people still loyal to Tom present in society, telling more people the truth of the situation risks them finding out and attempting to..._

His pacing was interrupted by the fiery return of his faithful friend Fawkes. Dumbledore paused to give himself a small mental pat on the back for his unintended alliteration, before he all but ran to Fawkes' perch.

"Has she sent a reply?" He asked breathlessly. Fawkes gave him a look that Dumbledore swore was amused before extending a leg. Albus relaxed marginally when he saw the attached letter. He quickly removed it from his companion and moved to sit behind his desk.

The letter was brief and to the point.

_London_

_Buckingham Palace_

_Main Gate_

_Sunday 25th June_

_11:10 am_

_Be there. Come alone. Don't be late._

_Urd_ _Odinsdotter_

Well. It was not the friendliest letter he had ever received, but it was at least a step in the right direction. He was relieved that the Odinsdotters at least seemed willing to talk.

Dumbledore placed the letter in a secure drawer of his desk before he stood up. He was heading towards the door of his office with the intention of retiring to his quarters, when he paused. There was something about the letter...

He returned to his desk and pulled the letter out. Upon re-reading it, he realised what it was that bothered him.

It never said that Harry would be there.

* * *

><p>On Sunday morning, Harry woke up at his customary early hour. Not that it was customary by choice. Years of being forced out of what passed as his bed to make breakfast for his overweight cousin had forced a habit of early rising.<p>

He awoke confused again, but this time the confusion was quickly replaced with comprehension as he recalled the events of the previous day. Introductions to his new family. Discovering magic. Involvement in some magical circle that scanned him or something. A peaceful day spent gardening with his cousin Belldandy. Then Keiichi's proposal, and the celebration that followed.

Of course, this had required no small effort on his part. Urd was a mediocre to poor cook at the best of times, while Skuld's idea of food preparation started (and stopped) at the microwave oven. The result was that Harry's hard-earned culinary skills were called forth while the two sisters acted as his assistants.

That in itself had been a small revelation. For the first time in his life, he had cooked for people who not only appreciated his efforts but were willing to help him prepare the food. There was no shouting (well, Skuld had shouted at Urd at one point, but it didn't have nearly the venom that the Dursleys had reserved for Harry), no criticism and plenty of gratitude once everything was ready.

Harry had been surprised that cooking in an environment like that was actually enjoyable. Skuld had noticed his apparent delight and had commented that he should spend some time cooking with Belldandy. Harry found himself looking forward to it, especially if she was as nice in the kitchen as she had been in the garden.

A quick glance at the illuminated display of his alarm clock revealed that it was already seven in the morning. Harry could have sworn that the display had shown it to be six o'clock when he had woken up. He could hear vague noises outside his room that hinted at movement, so he clambered out of bed and quickly donned a dressing gown and slippers. Opening his door with a bit more confidence than he had displayed the previous day, Harry headed in the general direction of the dining room.

Downstairs, he discovered that Belldandy was just in the middle of placing a platter stacked with English-style pancakes. This was a breakfast dish that Harry had prepared for Dudley many times in the past but had never been allowed to try for himself.

The only other person in the room was Keiichi, who had buried himself in one of his English primers. As Harry entered, Keiichi's book lowered and Belldandy looked up with a smile that warmed the room.

"Good morning Harry. There are fresh pancakes here, and there is sugar and lemon juice just in front of Keiichi. Please help yourself."

Harry needed no further encouragement, and eagerly sat down and helped himself. Keiichi poured him a glass of milk as Belldandy left the room to fetch her sisters.

Harry concentrated on his food as Keiichi seemed intent on multi-tasking, attempting to use one hand for reading while using the other two to eat. Unfortunately the young man only had two hands to do the work of three, and the result was that Keiichi kept losing his place in his reading. Eventually the engineer gave up and put the book away, turning his full attention to his breakfast.

Belldandy re-entered the room, followed by the semi-comatose forms of Urd and Skuld. The barely conscious sisters quickly woke up when they saw the food set in front of them.

"Wow! This is really nice, big sister!" Skuld said. Urd just nodded in agreement.

Belldandy's seemingly ever-present smile went from warm to radiant. "Thank you, Skuld dear. Now, let's all eat before it gets cold."

Conversation was kept to a minimum as they all devoured the culinary delight that Belldandy had prepared. Once they had finished and the table had been cleared, Urd coughed gently to get everyone's attention.

"I have to go out this morning, but should be back by lunch time. I thought we could discuss the scan results this afternoon. Is that OK with you two?" The eldest Norn asked her sisters.

Belldandy responded first. "Certainly, Urd. I thought Harry and I could work on the garden a bit more this morning before it gets too hot. What will you be doing, Skuld?"

Skuld looked thoughtful. "I'll finish work on Banpei and Sigel. It shouldn't take too long."

"I will help you in the garden," Keiichi put in. "there is not much else for me to do right now."

"Fine," Urd said as she stood up, "OK with you, Harry?"

Harry was still unused to anybody asking him if he agreed with their suggested course of action. "Yes, that's OK."

Urd headed in the general direction of the living room, while everybody else moved towards the kitchen to clean up.

* * *

><p>At precisely ten minutes past eleven o'clock on Sunday the 25th of June, 1989, Albus Dumbledore arrived in the general vicinity of Buckingham Palace's main gate. The area was packed with an eager throng of tourists, making Albus glad that he had consulted with a muggleborn friend regarding his choice of clothing for today's meeting. He was, he had been assured, dressed appropriately for a man of his apparent age and would blend into the background easily.<p>

The Headmaster took a moment to look around for the person he had come to meet, but could not see her in the crowd. He moved towards the back of the multitude of tourists before he took another look.

Music of some sort had begun to play, though Dumbledore could not see the band producing it. He was about to check his surroundings for the person he had come to see when somebody tapped him on the shoulder.

"Good to see you came on time, and alone. We'll just wait here at the back of the crowd, that way nobody should notice us having a nice chat. They'll be too busy watching the show."

Albus turned around and saw Urd Odinsdotter grinning at him from close range. _I never caught the vaguest hint of her sneaking up behind, _he thought, _just who are you, Miss Odinsdotter?_

Putting those thoughts to one side, he smiled genially. "What show is that, Miss Odinsdotter?"

Urd raised both eyebrows. "For shame. You've lived in this country for over a century and you aren't familiar with the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace?"

Dumbledore turned around to see what had attracted the crowd here and saw various soldiers in ceremonial uniforms marching in some choreographed fashion. He did not understand what was going on at all, but he immediately saw why Miss Odinsdotter had chosen this time and place for the meeting. With this many muggles around, including soldiers, his ability to use magic would be constrained.

"Very crafty, Miss Odinsdotter. Shall we talk while the ceremony takes place?" Albus asked.

"Of course. And please call me Urd, Miss Odinsdotter is a bit of a mouthful." Urd replied airily.

Dumbledore hesitated for a moment, before he tried to restart the conversation. "Miss Urd. I wanted to talk to you about-"

Urd cut him off. "- Harry's placement and our guardianship of him. Yes, I guessed as much. Considering our last face to face encounter, I'm guessing that you don't approve of us taking care of our cousin." Her voice was chilly.

Dumbledore nodded. "I researched the nature of Blood Wards, and I can now understand why you disposed of them so quickly. Now that I know that they are not an option, Harry's future needs to be considered carefully."

Urd glared at the Supreme Mugwump through narrowed eyes. "Harry's future is as uncertain as any, Headmaster, but for the moment it is fairly clear. We have adopted Harry into our family, both legally and emotionally. The forms I submitted in both the magical and non-magical worlds are iron-clad. Which I'm sure you've already discovered, considering that you asked to meet me in person rather than send a legal summons. We will care for Harry and undo the damage done by the Dursleys. You, on the other hand, will leave him - and us - alone until he is ready to begin his formal magical education. There is no room for negotiation here, Headmaster, so do not try."

The Chief Warlock sighed. Not a good start. "Is there anything that could make you change your mind?" He asked hopefully.

"An act of god," was the abrupt reply, "and for all that you may be revered by your fellow wizards and witches, you aren't god. Nothing short of that will change our minds regarding Harry's situation. Not you, not your Minister of Magic, nobody. As I said, there is no room for negotiation."

Dumbledore used his best "disappointed elder statesman" look on the young woman, but saw that it had no effect. Time for a different tack. "There are threats to Harry that go beyond even normal magical attacks."

"Like that evil wizard he supposedly vanquished in 1981," Urd said mockingly, "yes we know about that. I'm sure you saw our ward work when you visited us on Friday. We are not amateurs, Headmaster, we know how to defend ourselves against dark magic. Harry will be safe at our home - a lot safer than he would be anywhere else in Britain."

Albus frowned. "Just how is it that you know about the threat posed by Voldemort?" To his disappointment, the name of the dark lord did not faze Urd even slightly.

"Why, you told me yourself." This statement was accompanied by a smirk.

"I am sure that I would remember telling you something of that magnitude," Dumbledore replied sternly.

"Oh, Headmaster. You are so skilled at legilimency and occlumency and yet you didn't even notice when I played you using a trick older than you are?"

Albus frowned. What trick?

Urd chuckled. In the background, the ceremony seemed to be reaching some sort of highlight, based on how the crowd was reacting. "I went on the attack the minute I had you inside _my _place of residence. That put you wrong-footed, as you aren't used to that kind of attitude. Then I hit you with my knowledge of the Blood Wards. That shocked you enough that your occlumency slipped, not a great deal but enough to get a glimpse of what was right at the forefront of your thoughts at that instant." Urd reached out and tapped Dumbledore's forehead gently.

"I am a master legilimencer, Headmaster. I got enough out of you in that unguarded moment to be able to construct the bigger picture. You aren't just scared that Voldemort will return, you are absolutely convinced that he will and that he will place Harry high on his list of priorities. Close enough?"

Albus was equally flabbergasted and awe-inspired. This young woman had managed to penetrate his own mental defences? And he hadn't even noticed? He had underestimated her yet again.

For her part, Urd smiled internally. She was, in point of fact, highly skilled in mental magic. She had no doubt that she was better than the best human legilimencers and occlumens alive. The same applied to Belldandy, and Skuld would be in the same position once she quit procrastinating and learned to use her magic properly.

But she had not used those skills to learn about Tom Marvolo Riddle and the threat he posed to Harry Potter. She had read the file on the prophecy and learned the full story there. She needed a cover story, however, and this would explain her knowledge of things Dumbledore thought were secret while intimidating the old man into backing off. At least, she hoped it would intimidate him. If this didn't work to get him to keep his distance, she might have to actually give him a real taste of what she could do.

Dumbledore was silently considering his options. The wards he had seen at the church on St Francis Close had been extremely impressive. If Harry's Norwegian relatives were that skilled with wards, their claim to be able to defend the Boy-Who-Lived might just be valid.

He glanced at his conversation partner. "Are you certain you are up to confronting Voldemort himself?" He asked point-blank.

"Of course. He may have intimidated your nation into a being a bunch of spineless cowards, but I am fully confident that we have all we need to keep your supposed dark lord at bay." Urd replied dismissively. Dumbledore bristled at the insult to his country, but kept his temper under control.

"Then it appears I have no alternative but to leave Harry in your care for the moment." He stated.

"Correct." Was the only reply.

"Then I believe we are finished here." The Headmaster continued. He was surprised when Urd shook her head.

"Not so fast. Here is how we will proceed. We will take care of Harry for the next two years, until he is old enough to commence his formal magical education. At that time we will not stand in his way if he chooses to attend Hogwarts. On the other hand, we won't force him to attend your school if he decides to get his magical education elsewhere. I would advise you to avoid anything that might alienate Harry, and do your best to make Hogwarts seem like the best choice."

Dumbledore was puzzled. "Why would he go anywhere else? Hogwarts is the finest school of magic..."

Urd cut him off. "...in the world, blah blah blah. You just keep telling yourself that. The fact is that you're only the best in Europe, and several schools are rapidly catching up. If you want to ever live up to your boast, you had best make some changes."

Albus was silent for a moment, before he spoke up again. "Anything else?"

Urd grinned at the bitter tone. "Yes, do your homework. It took me throwing your ignorance in your face for you to realise that you had made a right hash of things with the Blood Wards. The fact that it only took you a day of research to identify your error says a lot about how you didn't do your homework back in 1981. If you are really concerned about this so-called Voldemort, forget arguing about the living arrangements for one orphan and concentrate on finding out just how the bastard avoided death. Assuming he did and you aren't just being paranoid to the point of delusion."

Dumbledore snarled. "I have 'done my homework' in this case, Miss Odinsdotter, and I assure you that I have had no luck in finding anything solid. There are dozens of things Voldemort could have done to prevent his final passing, and I have no evidence for any of them."

Urd glared. "Then you're going about it the wrong way. Don't look at every possible method of avoiding death and focus on those that Voldemort could have discovered. You know enough about the man to be able to narrow down the list of possible methods. Then, maybe get out of your ivory tower and do some serious looking. You won't win this with a text book, Headmaster, so if you aren't willing to do the hard yards...find somebody who will."

Albus returned the glare. "It is bad enough that you know about this. The more people who know, the greater the chance that Voldemort will find out and take action."

"And if you don't trust anyone, you'll never get anything done." Urd replied bluntly. "One man bands are only entertaining for the comedy value, Headmaster. Please don't let this whole thing descend into farce. I believe we are finished here, good day."

With that Urd turned abruptly and walked off. Albus glowered after her, before he turned away himself and headed back the way he had come.

* * *

><p>When Urd returned to her new home, she found her family inside preparing for lunch. She had taken her time getting back to Hinckley, making some diversions to acquire potion ingredients. Getting back after the first round of gardening had been done was excellent timing from her perspective.<p>

"Hello everybody. Did you have a good morning?" Urd asked.

"Welcome back, Urd. Yes, things went well. Did you finish your business?" Belldandy asked pleasantly. Urd could hear an undertone that indicated that Belldandy knew exactly what Urd's business had been.

"I think it went fairly smoothly. We can discuss things after lunch."

With Harry assisting Belldandy in the kitchen, lunch was prepared and served in short order. Belldandy kept the conversation light while they were eating, choosing to discuss her plans for the garden. Skuld mentioned that she had Banpei back up and running, but Sigel was apparently sulking because her legs were still inactive. Keiichi remained quiet, apparently still unsure about his English, but Harry did contribute to Belldandy's comments about the garden.

Once they had finished, Urd caught Belldandy's eye and motioned her to one side. A quick whispered discussion later, and Belldandy turned to the other three people.

"Urd, Skuld and myself need to discuss various issues this afternoon. Keiichi, can you please keep Harry company? Maybe you can work on your bike together."

Keiichi nodded. "OK. I think we can keep busy. Alright, Harry?"

Harry just nodded. He was interested in the bike anyway, working on it would be good.

"Fine. Well, you two can get started while we clear up in here. I'll bring some drinks out later." Belldandy punctuated her comment with a small kiss on Keiichi's cheek. Keiichi blushed, before he escorted Harry outside.

"What's going on with you two?" Skuld asked.

"We need to discuss those scan results for a start," Urd began, "and then we need to talk about how we handle the next two years."

"What do you mean, handle the next two years?" Skuld demanded.

"We're here and established. That was step one. We retrieved Harry from the Dursleys and handled the legal side of becoming his new guardians. That was step two. Now we need to educate Harry and prepare him for Hogwarts when he is eligible in 1991." Urd stated.

"So?" Skuld inquired.

"So we also need to consider the bigger picture." Urd said as she carried plates into the kitchen behind Belldandy.

"We have our cover identities, but we now need to work them to make them real." Belldandy explained. "For example, your sister Urd will be establishing her own potions shop in Diagon Alley. The background created for us here has taken into account our existing knowledge and skills, so Urd has an official Potions Mastery that she can use to start her own business."

"That way I can establish myself in the wider magical community here," Urd continued, "it'll mean that when I turn up in Hogsmeade I won't be a complete stranger. That could be useful later on."

Skuld nodded. It made sense.

Urd went on. "Belldandy is going to be a very traditional married witch and be a stay-at-home mother. This is very common and it won't attract attention. She will spend time in the communities of Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, shopping and so on, so that she is also fairly well known. We want to be members of the magical community, not strangers."

Skuld nodded again. "What about me?"

Urd fixed her with a stern look. "You, squirt, need to make a firm decision about your future and make it fast."

Skuld bristled. "What decision?"

Belldandy intervened before things got too confrontational. "Skuld dear, both Urd and I have mastery over our magic. Our established backgrounds here have given us both Masteries in Charms and Transfiguration to account for our skill. We have also completed the field agent training course in Asgard, which gives us information and skills necessary to integrate with life here on Midgard without difficulty."

"Remember when you learnt how to ride a bicycle?" Urd asked. Skuld just blushed, that had been an embarrassing part of her life. "The field agent course includes stuff like that and more. That's why Bell and I can do everything from riding a bicycle to driving a car. We even got taught how to fly aircraft if the need arises. You, on the other hand, skipped all that entirely when you came down here chasing after Belldandy."

"So, what do I do?" Skuld asked timidly. She had no idea that she was so ill-prepared for Midgard.

Urd sighed and faced Skuld directly. "You have two choices. Our established identities here in Britain have you marked down as being 16 this year, with a birth date of the 20th of March, 1973. If you had been raised as a witch here in Britain, you would have started at Hogwarts in September 1984. You would be right at the end of your fifth year, and would start your sixth year this coming September.

"The problem is that your magical training is sub-par by the standards of the local magical population. Frankly, you're behind the eight-ball in Asgard as well. So the most important priority for you is to get trained in how to use your magic properly."

Skuld glared, but said nothing. It was true that she had neglected her magical lessons for a long time. She was probably the first goddess to receive an Angel without having passed her basic magical exam first, which was an achievement that was a source of both pride and embarrassment.

"So, here's what we can do. You can return to Asgard and enrol in a special training course that will get you up to speed in two years. We need you up to speed by 1991, so that's the time limit we are working to. We'd pass this off locally by telling people that you were back in Norway attending the Norwegian Magical Academy." Urd explained.

Skuld blinked. "What's the alternative?"

Belldandy fielded this question. "You stay here, but we get you a full simulator system and you undertake the training here. The problem with this plan is that training in the simulator is inherently inferior to the regular training course, so you will have to work a lot harder and will have less spare time."

Urd picked up the thread of the conversation again. "It is up to you, Skuld. Going back to Asgard will be the easiest way to get your magical skills up to scratch, but you'll lose the chance to properly bond with Harry. Which might be important down the track. Staying here means you'll be closer to the progress of our plan, but it will also mean a lot more work."

Skuld's face fell. Some choice. "Caught between a rock and a hard place." She muttered. Belldandy nodded sympathetically, but Urd was predictably less supportive.

"You brought this on yourself, Skuld, when you broke every rule by chasing after Belldandy. You should have stayed in Asgard and finished your training with all of the teachers and facilities we have up there. When you came down, you got stuck with Bell and myself, plus you seemed more interested in building your toys than you were in learning what you needed to know. Well, the chickens have come home to roost, and now you'll have to play catch-up. I don't envy you, kid, but maybe next time you'll pay attention to your teachers before you blow off what they have to offer you."

Skuld blinked back tears. Urd was absolutely correct, but that didn't make it any less hurtful.

Belldandy glared at Urd, who rolled her eyes in response. "Bell, it is the truth and you know it. Sugar-coating it won't make it any less distasteful."

"I know that, Urd, but you could be more considerate in how you say things to your sister." Belldandy said sternly.

"Sheesh, OK. Sorry about dressing you down, Skuld, but it is important that you learn from this experience. Now, you think about how you want to handle this. For now, let's look at the data from that scan and work out how we treat Harry."

* * *

><p>Outside the house, Keiichi led Harry towards the rather ramshackle garage that faced onto St Francis Close. It was currently being used to store Keiichi's new bike and the few tools he had managed to bring over from Japan. Keiichi had plans to demolish the structure and build a brand new garage and workshop combination, until then Belldandy's car would be parked on the street.<p>

The young engineer turned to Harry. "We will work on my motorcycle. I will try to explain how it all works. I hope to teach you how to ride motorcycles one day. Do you know how to ride a bicycle?"

Harry's heart leapt as he heard that he might be able to ride a motorbike. They had been a strong feature of his dreams for a long time. Then reality kicked in, and his face fell. "No, I was never allowed to touch Dudley's bikes."

Keiichi's face hardened for a moment, before he smiled. "Well, Belldandy can teach you how to ride one. Until then, I will teach you how to look after a motorcycle. I may get excited and start talking in Japanese, if that happens please remind me to speak English. I need the practice."

Harry nodded, as they entered the garage. In the gloom, he could see the distinctive outline of Keiichi's Triumph Bonneville.

* * *

><p>In a certain magical school in Scotland, Albus Dumbledore was in his office glaring out the window. The nerve of that woman to tell him his business!<p>

Still, there was nothing he could do now. His only option to get custody of Harry now was to mount a full attack. That or try to discredit his new family in the press, but that was a dangerous course to take. Harry's Norwegian relatives already had full legal custody over the Boy-Who-Lived, and might just leave the country if a negative press campaign started. It would take such a campaign time to mobilise public opinion against the Odinsdotter sisters, and in that time they could easily move to Norway.

He could go directly to the Minister of Magic and try to get the adoption overturned. Unfortunately, he knew that trying this would alert too many people to Harry's current location and status. The Minister's office leaked like a sieve, and in any case such a legal challenge to the adoption by _blood_ relatives would inevitably end up before the Wizengamot. If there was one thing he wanted to avoid, it was scrutiny from that bunch of busy-bodies.

Similarly, a physical assault to retrieve Harry was too risky. He had no doubt that he would need most of the Order of the Phoenix to help him breach the wards at that church. Throwing around that much magic would attract a **lot **of attention from all sorts of people, which would lead to unwanted questions. Plus getting the Order to help him attack a seemingly innocent family would also require a lot of explanations.

No, he would have to accept the status quo, much as it irked him, and figure out some way to salvage things. He would now have to gain the boy's trust after he arrived at Hogwarts without the advantage of Harry actually needing a guide and saviour.

The Headmaster turned away from his window and sat at his desk. Plans began to form, as he considered what resources he could muster over the next two years.

* * *

><p>The Norns had just finished reviewing Harry's scan results, and had managed to categorise most of the problems.<p>

"OK," Urd began, "I can deal with the problems associated with his previous malnutrition with a course of potions. That should handle most of the trouble. Bell, can you deal with the continuing issues regarding old injuries?"

Belldandy nodded. There were at least two cases of broken bones having not healed properly, and some lingering problems left over from a head injury. "I think I will be able to handle that Urd."

"What about his eyes?" Skuld asked. "Can we fix his eyesight so he can get rid of the glasses?"

Urd shook her head. "Not until he is an adult. Trying to fix his eyes while he is still growing would cause problems down the track. We'll just have to leave his eyes as they are for the moment, though we should take him to an optometrist to get his prescription checked."

Skuld nodded, before she turned to the last set of results that needed to be discussed. "About these results from his scar..."

Belldandy and Urd both looked worried. "I've never seen anything like this. How about you, Bell?"

Belldandy shook her head. "This is new to me as well. I think we need to consult with an expert."

"Who do we go to, though?" Skuld asked. "I mean, we can't just ask Father."

Urd looked at the Norn of the Present. "I'm guessing you have a person in mind, Belldandy."

The newly engaged goddess nodded. "I was thinking we should send all of this data to Eir and ask her for a full diagnosis and recommended course of action."

The other two Norns paused, before they thoughtfully nodded in agreement. "Makes sense. She is really busy, but I think this case has enough priority on it that we can enlist her skills. Skuld, can you please package all of the scan results into a proper report and send it through to Eir?" Urd said.

Skuld brought up her terminal and started work immediately. "Sure thing. It should take me a few minutes to get ready."

Belldandy walked over to Skuld and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Have you thought about your decision, sister?"

Skuld bit her lip for a moment, before she replied. "I'll stay here and train with a simulator. I think I need to be here and be connected to events, so returning to Asgard is out."

Belldandy seemed to consider this for a moment. "Agreed. I will send a requisition up tonight. We will install the simulator in the garage for the moment, until we can get the renovations complete."

* * *

><p>In Asgard, the goddess Eir was relaxing with a cup of herbal tea when her computer terminal dinged, indicating that she had mail. Sighing, she set her cup down and inspected the bane of her existence. It was never-ending, an incessant stream of messages addressed to the Goddess of Healing, all asking for advice on topics that usually required a "take two sugar pills and don't see me in the morning" response.<p>

This one was from Skuld. That was unusual, Skuld rarely bothered anybody not directly involved in Yggdrasil's system administration team. It had a large packet of information attached as well. _This might be interesting, _Eir thought as she opened the message and read through it.

_Ah, that's right, a category 1 - or is that category A, I can never remember - prophecy that went awry. Seems that the Norns have some healing to do._

The more Eir read of Skuld's report, the higher her eyebrows climbed. Most of the medical issues were fairly mundane and it was obvious that Belldandy and Urd had things under control. But this last item that had apparently baffled all three Norns...

Eir suddenly leant back from the screen and rubbed her eyes tiredly. _Whenever I think that humanity can't get any more creative at causing itself pain, somebody comes along and proves me wrong._

The Goddess of Healing strode over to a vast bookcase and extracted a dusty tome. _Goes to show just how rarely anybody has to deal with this kind of...abomination, _Eir thought to herself.

Returning to her terminal with the book in hand, she settled in to write a very long report. She made a mental note to forward a copy of her findings to the Almighty.

* * *

><p>At Harry's new home in Hinckley, Keiichi and his young apprentice had returned to the house for dinner. After several minutes spent scrubbing motor oil off his hands, Harry had headed for the kitchen to assist Belldandy. He was intercepted on the way by Urd.<p>

"Hey there, Harry. Skuld is helping Belldandy at the moment, so there's no need to go in there yet. For now, I need to show you something."

Urd led Harry into the dining room, and showed him a small bottle that was next to his place on the table.

"We know the Dursleys didn't feed you properly, and that has had an impact on your health. I've prepared a series of potions that will fix things and get you back to where you should be. This is the first one - drink it all before we eat tonight. There'll be one every night for the next fortnight. After that, you should be OK. Understood?"

Harry nodded. "Thank you. Um, did this cost..." Urd interrupted.

"Forget the cost, Harry. This is for family, the price doesn't enter into it. Just drink it down and try to ignore the taste. I've tried to make these things taste pleasant but it never seems to work."

Harry nodded again, before he picked up the small bottle. Uncorking it, he swigged it down as fast as he could. Coming up for air, he grimaced as the taste caught up with him - it was bitter, very bitter. "Yuck..."

"I know, I know." Urd said sympathetically. "Like I said, there isn't much I can do about the flavour."

At that point Skuld entered with a large basket of fresh bread. "Belldandy says to eat some of this before she brings out the main course. Harry, you aren't to help tonight with the cooking, though Belldandy says she wants to teach you how to make some special desserts tomorrow."

Urd immediately gravitated towards the fresh bread, followed closely by Harry and Keiichi.

* * *

><p>Later that evening, after Harry had gone to bed, Keiichi cornered Urd.<p>

"Urd," he started in Japanese, "what was that potion you gave to Harry?"

Urd suppressed a groan. "Harry's ex-family didn't feed him properly at all. He's suffering from a number of problems associated with malnutrition. I've cooked up a series of potions that will fix things and get him to where he should be at his age, but he'll be taking them for two weeks. At least."

Keiichi looked sick. "His family did that?"

Urd had a stony expression. "That and more. Belldandy will be healing a number of old injuries that never healed properly, starting tomorrow. All thanks to Harry's 'loving' relatives and their friends."

Keiichi looked away for a moment, before he met Urd's eyes. "I hope you did something to punish those bastards."

Urd smirked. "Well, I couldn't do much with Belldandy there. Even she would admit that the Dursleys are scum, but she doesn't like to take justice into her own hands. But I did leave a little something."

Keiichi looked curious. "What did you do?"

Urd now looked gleeful. "Oh, something I think Vernon will notice tomorrow. It won't damage him, not physically anyway, and it won't destroy him completely. Just something that will allow him to know that his actions do have consequences."

With that, Urd disappeared in the direction of her bedroom. Keiichi shrugged and left to find Belldandy.

* * *

><p>Author's notes: thanks to everyone at Caer Azkaban who have helped me with various bits of this story. I'd list you all by name but I'd crack 100,000 words if I did.<p>

Four chapters in, and I've managed to finish Sunday. Next time: more stuff happens.


	5. Chapter 5: Monday, Monday

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Harry Potter or Oh My Goddess

* * *

><p>Keiichi Morisato, immediate past President of the Nekomi Institute of Technology Motor Club, was woken up by an unusual sensation. Well, unusual in that it was not part of his usual habits, in many other respects it was completely normal.<p>

The sensation was the way the bed shifted as his fiancée got out of bed. Up until Saturday night, he had always slept alone...except for one or two occasions that had occurred before he met Belldandy, which involved a great deal of alcohol. Now he was experiencing his second night of sleeping with somebody else as a normal practice.

It was not something he had ever thought would happen to him. That whole sharing-the-bed-with-the-fiancée thing, that is. He had not been particularly confident or comfortable with girls when he was at high school and the transition to University had not changed anything. Barring those drunken incidents at Motor Club functions, he had been as unattached as ever.

Right up until the rest of the Motor Club had left him to man the phone in the dormitory while they went out to respond to a sudden call from their employers. Being the thoughtful and caring people that they were, they had left the first year engineering student with absolutely nothing to eat. After a full day of hanging by the phone without food, he had called for dinner to be delivered.

Naturally, in a busy town like Nekomi, complete with a large university involved in the cutting edge of research in a number of fields, full of under- and post-graduate students working all sorts of weird hours, nobody was delivering. Something about the concept of "customer service" had apparently eluded most of the restaurant owners in the area.

Several busy minutes spent calling the numbers on every takeaway food menu he could find in the dorm later, and he got a response from something called the "Goddess Relief Office". The person on the other end promised to "be there in just a moment to grant your access request" before the call terminated.

Keiichi was just about to write the whole thing off as a wrong number to some odd technical support helpline when a woman appeared out of the mirror behind him.

Upon being greeted by an exotically dressed woman (and a foreigner, by her appearance) speaking fluent, unaccented Japanese, who had apparently teleported out of the mirror, Keiichi's reaction was natural. He thought it was an elaborate prank on the part of the rest of the Motor Club.

So when he was asked to make a wish, his first instinct was to try and turn the tables on his tormentors by putting the actress they had hired on the spot.

_If I had known then what I know now, _Keiichi thought to himself wryly, _I'd still have made the same wish. But probably in a different tone of voice. "I want a goddess like you to be with me always" - heh, I must have sounded like a sarcastic arsehole._

It had caught them both by surprise when the wish was granted, and the Ultimate Force (something Keiichi still didn't understand properly) started to enforce it.

_That was the start of it all. Evicted from the dorm for the crime of inviting a woman inside, getting left the temple by a monk who just had to go on pilgrimage at that instant, the arrival of first one, then the other sister of the goddess I met..._

_...all because of a contract I formed with Belldandy, goddess first class, second category, unlimited license, Norn of the Present. Oh, and now my fiancée._

It had been a long journey to this point. And more adventure than a fairly normal person like him could ever expect. In fact this latest situation was just another example of what could happen to people who got involved in the affairs of a goddess.

Though this one looked like it was going to be more of a long term event, rather than the "adventure of the week" activity that he had almost become used to at home (he had once joked with Urd that after the third or fourth time, even he got used to watching the world nearly end thanks to some narrowly averted cataclysm).

_If what Belldandy said is accurate, I can expect to be based in Britain for the next decade or so. It is strange, this is the first time I have seen the Ultimate Force in action on something other than the wish I made with Bell. It is a bit awe-inspiring, sometimes I feel like a leaf caught up in the torrent of a river..._

Not that he was going to complain about it. In some respects this mission the Norns had been issued had forced him to take the next step and finally acknowledge what everybody had seen as the inevitable.

Marriage to Belldandy.

_That was the best moment of my life, when she said yes. It makes me wish I had been brave enough to propose years ago. _

Now, however, the perils of Monday beckoned. The empty space beside him was a reminder that he had to get up and ready himself. His new job at Triumph Motorcycles awaited him, as did breakfast and his ongoing quest to improve his English skills.

_Working with Harry yesterday was a great help in that regard, _Keiichi mused, _working on the bike allowed me to relax and stop worrying about making mistakes in my speech. _

Thinking of Harry reminded the young engineer of several things on his "to do" list. _Need to remember to ask at work about any bike clubs I can get Harry involved with, as we don't have the space for him to learn how to ride here. Plus, I really want to find out just what Urd has done to Harry's relatives._

* * *

><p>Belldandy looked around the dining room with a satisfied air as everybody got stuck into the morning's repast. Today's effort had been produced with the assistance of Harry, who apparently enjoyed cooking in a household that appreciated his efforts. The two had quickly meshed into an efficient team, and the food preparation process had gone quickly and smoothly.<p>

It had also given Belldandy an opportunity to learn more about this person that she was now responsible for. Not to mention start the first stages of trying to heal the emotional and spiritual damage that Harry had suffered during his time with the Dursleys.

The thought of Harry's ex-family (as she preferred to think of them) disturbed Belldandy deeply. She found it hard to believe that anybody could be that cruel to a small child regardless of their background. The Norn of the Present was easily the most forgiving and understanding of the three sisters, but she had been sorely tempted to mete out some form of divine judgement for the...evil she had seen.

She had resisted the temptation, of course. A goddess of her responsibility could not afford to take such direct action, the Dursleys would be judged in due time just like everyone else. Though she had a suspicion that her older sister Urd might have taken matters into her own hands to a limited extent. She would have to press the Norn of the Past on that later.

Today promised to be full. She would personally have to sort out Harry's future education, given that he had been arbitrarily pulled from his previous school just a week or so before the end of term. The three goddesses had already made plans to home-school Harry until September, when he would commence what was termed "Year Five" in England. Said home-schooling would involve the start of Harry's magical education, as none of the goddesses involved in planning his curriculum placed any faith in the magical world's idea that 11 years old was the earliest that somebody could be taught to use their magic.

In addition to sorting out schooling, Urd wanted to head to the Ministry of Magic again to investigate some issues regarding Harry's files. Belldandy had no idea what Urd wanted, but assumed that it had to do with Albus Dumbledore. On top of all that, they were all waiting for Eir to get back to them with a diagnosis of the strange scan results they had of Harry's scar.

Breakfast was now concluding, and Belldandy stood to take empty plates back to the kitchen. As she did, she glanced at the ring that was prominent on her left ring finger. Just the sight of it sent a warm feeling through her. She quickly placed the used crockery on the kitchen sink, before she went to kiss Keiichi goodbye as he left to go to work.

* * *

><p>Urd strode through the Ministry of Magic, headed for the first counter she could see that actually had somebody behind it. Not that she expected that she would get anything useful out said person, the point was to maintain appearances.<p>

It didn't help that Skuld was accompanying her today. Belldandy had insisted that Skuld start to learn about the society that they would be interacting with from now on, and as such Urd had an unwanted companion for this small errand. Skuld didn't look all that impressed either, no doubt she wanted to be back home trying to get Sigel's legs to work.

Urd swept up to the only manned (actually womaned, by the looks of it) counter in sight in a dramatic fashion. She had dressed for the occasion, portraying to the world the very image of a powerful and important witch who had every right to be where she was. Of course this meant dressing in robes that were at least a hundred years out of date if not more, but that was the price one had to pay for depicting the right image. Even Skuld was dressed for the occasion, which might go some way to explaining her somewhat sullen visage.

Unfortunately, the witch behind the counter was more interested in her copy of "Witch Weekly" than she was in actually doing her job. After waiting for a moment for the inattentive Ministry flunkey to notice her, Urd cleared her throat. Loudly.

This caused some flurry on the other side of the counter as the witch lost her hold of the apparently engrossing magazine. After a minute of trying to regain her composure, she looked at the people who had dared interrupt her with a sneer. Said sneer evaporated when she took in the clothing of her visitors.

"Um, yes? Can I help you?" The receptionist asked in a timid tone.

"Yes," Urd replied, "you can tell me where I can find the records of trials."

"Um, trials?" The nervous witch asked. Urd suppressed a sigh.

"Yes, trials. You know, those public events in which the guilt or innocence of an accused person is determined? Sometimes followed up by a sentence being passed?"

"Oh," was the response, "er. Try the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

"Thank you," Urd said calmly, "can you give me directions?"

Some stammered directions later, and the two Norns were on their way deeper into the Ministry building.

"Why are you so interested in some old trial records anyway?" Skuld asked. "What use could they be to us now?"

Urd did not bother to suppress this sigh. "Skuld, my darling bratty sister, you have a lot to learn about handling affairs here on Midgard. Rule one: knowing is half the battle."

Skuld bristled at the insult, but refrained from responding in kind. _Belldandy told me to be on my best behaviour. _"What do you mean by that?"

"What I mean is that it is always better to operate with full knowledge of the situation," Urd said simply, "as it can help you avoid screwing things up by accident. In this case, we only know part of the story of how Harry ended up at the Dursleys. For that matter, we only know part of the story of how his parents were killed. The little we do know suggests that this Sirius Black person betrayed the Potter family to Voldemort. As he was supposedly a close friend of the Potters before that, it is out of character. I want to find out what his reasons were, and the trial transcript is the best place to start."

"Why not talk to him directly?" Skuld asked.

"They caught him after he killed another friend of the Potter family, a wizard by the name of Peter Pettigrew," Urd explained, "in the process he also killed a dozen non-magical people. These days, Sirius Black is at Azkaban, the prison this Ministry operates. Getting in and talking to him would be very difficult, as they normally don't allow visitors."

"I suppose that makes sense," Skuld allowed, "but what will knowing his reasons tell us?"

"Maybe not a great deal," Urd admitted, "what I'm really hoping for is an account of what happened the night the Potters were killed. The only witnesses were James and Lily Potter, Harry and Voldemort. Harry was too young to remember anything concrete, and the other three aren't available for obvious reasons. This Sirius Black is the closest person to those events who is still alive. We'll start with the trial records, focussing on his testimony, and then decide if we need to get ourselves a face to face meeting with him."

Skuld nodded. It made sense. Then another thought occurred.

"By the way, just what is it that you did to the Dursleys?" The Norn of the Future asked pointedly.

Urd looked at her with a small smile. "Why, what makes you think I did anything?"

"I know you too well," Skuld said firmly, "there's no way you could pass up on making them pay for what they did to Harry. Plus Belldandy wanted me to ask you, as she suspected you did something as well."

Urd's smile blossomed into a full grin. "Well, it wasn't much. I just made Vernon's own character flaws work against him."

Skuld looked puzzled. "What does that mean?"

Urd now looked gleeful. "Well..."

* * *

><p>Vernon Dursley strode into the main headquarters building of Grunnings Drills with a serious look on his face. Internally, however, he was almost dancing with joy. Not only was he finally rid of the damned freak, but today he was attending the final interview for that promotion to be a Director. After that the next step was to be appointed the Managing Director, replacing the long line of family members who had achieved their positions through nepotism rather than merit.<p>

He was pretty much assured this promotion. He had heard from his friends further up in the chain of command that the other candidates didn't have the right connections. Vernon had made sure that he was a member of the right golf club, attended the right social events and gambled at the right racing events over the years to get the patronage that had seen him through three promotions. The other candidates just didn't have his background in politicking, and as a result they would not get a look in.

Vernon strode his way to the receptionist's office just outside the boardroom where the interview would take place. He was going up in front of a panel comprised of a good percentage of the Board of Directors (junior management people were often confused as to the difference between the Board of Directors and the Directors who ran the company on a day to day basis, but the confusion usually cleared up after the first "meet the boss" function). Meeting the Board, or at least part of it, would be another good opportunity to impress people and make connections. Years of interviews and management reviews had given Vernon excellent skills at bullshitting people, and he was confident that today's event would be just another day of sweet-talking people who knew less about his job than he did.

As he entered the office, he looked around for a place to hang his overcoat. He didn't need it on a day like today, but image was important and the overcoat did help hide his girth. A bit. Unfortunately, it looked like this office was without any coat racks. Fortunately, there was a secretary hanging around without anything to do.

"You there!" Vernon barked as he took off his coat and thrust it at the woman, "Hang this up for me somewhere."

The woman looked at him with a faintly surprised expression. "Excuse me?"

Vernon's temper rose slightly at the impertinence of this overpaid typist. "You heard me! Hang my coat up for me somewhere safe. There isn't anywhere to hang it in here and I don't have the time to search the building looking for a cloakroom - I'm a busy man."

The secretary's left eyebrow raised. "Is that so?"

"Yes!" Vernon snapped as he thrust his garment into her arms. As he walked away he muttered "Lousy jumped up tart of a secretary, doesn't know her place in the company..."

He didn't notice that the woman he had been giving orders to had heard his parting comment, nor did he see her unceremoniously drape his coat over the back of a chair with some contempt.

Inside the boardroom, Vernon saw what was obviously his chair facing those of the panel. It had its back to the door, and was the only one on Vernon's side of the table while the other side had seven chairs set up already. Each chair had a name tag sitting in front of it. Five of the panel members were already seated, and were generally involved in shuffling papers and talking amongst themselves. One of them looked up as Vernon entered.

"Ah, Mr Dursley. Do take a seat, dear chap, we'll be ready to start just as soon as the other two arrive."

Vernon settled into his chair, grateful for the chance to get his large weight off his feet. He eyed off the panel opposite him, matching names to faces.

Suddenly he heard the door behind him open and close, with the sound of two people entering. He didn't turn around, as it might be perceived as a sign of nervousness. That and he wasn't really built for twisting around in his chair.

The last two members of the panel walked around to their places at the table. Vernon went pale as he saw the secretary he all but thrown his coat at sit at a place marked "Alice Grunning". She saw his look and smiled at the overweight manager.

Vernon swallowed. This would not be a good interview.

* * *

><p>Skuld looked at Urd in shock. "You did what?"<p>

Urd was almost laughing in glee. "I cast a little charm that would make his natural bigotry get the better of his sense of self preservation at exactly the wrong time. All it will do is make his true character blatantly obvious to people he really doesn't want to offend."

Skuld stared at Urd in disbelief. "Is that all? No boils, no plagues, no permanent curse?"

Urd glared. "Hey, what kind of person do you take me for?" Skuld simply raised her eyebrows. "OK, don't answer that question..."

* * *

><p>Vernon slumped back at his desk, feeling more than a little shell-shocked. <em>Bloody hell, what the fuck came over me? <em>Vernon had built a large part of his career on knowing when to express his views and when to keep them hidden. He also knew better than to treat any female employee of Grunnings the way he had. Some of them were getting quite smart, and the threat of harassment claims was growing larger every day. _Bloody Thatcher is giving them ideas._

The interview had not gone well. The long and the short of it was that thanks to Alice Grunning, apparently the grand-niece of the founder of the firm or some rot of that order, he had not only been rejected for the role of Director but he had actually been censured. There was now an official Black Mark on his record, which scuppered any chance of a future promotion.

There was also his new role in the company. He hadn't been demoted, for which he was eternally grateful, as he hadn't quite shown cause for that (though Vernon was sure that Alice Grunning would have him fired if she could). No, he had been put in charge of...

...Stores. Vernon Dursley, Group Manager of Stores. A dead-end job if ever there was one. What was worse, everybody would know it. Stores was the final stop for managers in Grunnings. There was no chance to impress anybody - no sales to be made, no innovations to champion, no processes to improve. If you did your job absolutely perfectly nobody would notice, as that was what they expected of Stores. They sent requests for inventory to be delivered, and it happened. Nobody noticed what happened in Stores, unless you screwed up. Then you got noticed, big time.

_This is the end of my career, _Vernon thought miserably, _I'll be stuck in this dead-end job until I retire. _He had no illusions about his chances of getting a job elsewhere. There was no way he could leave Grunnings with a good reference. Not after that little incident with Alice Grunning. _At least I avoided a cut in salary._

He glanced at his desk, knowing that he'd have to pack it up soon for the move to the Stores department. As he did, he noticed a letter addressed to him waiting right in the middle of his blotter. _Odd, I don't remember seeing that when I came in._

He picked it up, and saw that it was simply addressed to "Vernon Dursley". No address, no office number, just his name. Puzzled, he opened the envelope and withdrew the letter.

_Hi Vernon, _he read.

_If you are reading this, then the little present I left for you has taken effect. Wondering why your mouth got the better of your common sense? All thanks to a little charm I cast on you when I left with your dear nephew, Harry._

Vernon's complexion went purple. _That bitch used her freakish powers on me?_ He read on.

_It was nothing much, just something that would make your secret bigotry obvious at a moment when it would hurt. To be honest I'm not sure when it will fire, but I have no doubt that somebody in your position will be enjoying the fruits of my gift very soon._

_Consider this a very mild form of payback for the way you abused your nephew. And be grateful - if my mother were involved, you would have suffered a lot more than having your bigoted views used against you._

_Urd Odinsdotter_

Vernon's scream of rage went unnoticed in the busy offices at Grunnings.

* * *

><p>The office of the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement reflects the importance of the position. It is large, with space enough for a large desk, multiple bookshelves and an "entertainment area". The last item consisted of a few comfortable armchairs clustered around a coffee table, although the absence of any form of tea service and the presence of a well disguised bar stocked with fortified wines and spirits was a good indication of the actual drinks that were normally served.<p>

As far as the current Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was concerned, the whole thing stank of the nature of previous occupants. The Ministry had a track history of appointing people from outside the Department to the role of Director, officially to "bring in new views and ideas". Unofficially, it was well known that the job was considered a political stepping stone within the Ministry as well as a place to indulge in the perks. For most of its history, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement had actually been run by the Divisional heads while the Director had been off attending various social functions, revelling in being an "important person". The decor said a lot about the self-indulgence of previous occupants.

Frankly, it took Amelia Bones days to suppress the desire to torch the whole room and set herself up in a much smaller office elsewhere. The enormous office could easily be turned into another conference room, which would be a far more efficient use of the space. She had only been in the job for a year, and the opulence grated on her nerves.

There were, however, good reasons for keeping the room as it was. For one thing, the security measures put in place were the best in the entire Ministry building outside of the Department of Mysteries. For another, the large room was useful for intimidating people who dared venture inside her office when she was working. Madam Bones, as she was almost always called by her subordinates, had taken on the responsibilities of her office with serious determination. Consequently, she was a busy woman, especially since her job carried with it a seat in the Wizengamot. Notionally this was to allow her to fulfil the other role of the Director, which was to act as a judge on occasion, but it carried with it full voting power.

Madam Bones was having a typical Monday morning, which revolved around dealing with yet another rejected request for additional funding (Bagnold seemed to think that the death of You-Know-Who had abolished crime), handling any important correspondence that had come in over the weekend (usually missives from the Hungarian Ministry, who seemed to do all their work on Saturday nights) and reviewing the various reports, memos and discussion papers generated by the Heads of Department.

It was not work calculated to put a person in a good mood. So when her secretary (who doubled as a bodyguard) knocked on the door, she looked up in the hope that some minor crisis might be important enough to drag her away from the red tape that threatened to drown her.

"Come in."

The door opened and her secretary walked in a few paces.

"Madam Bones, I have Miss Urd Odinsdotter and Miss Skuld Odinsdotter here to see you."

Amelia frowned. Who?

"Do they have an appointment to see me?" The Director asked dryly.

"No Madam Bones, but they did say it was important."

Amelia sighed. _Maybe it'll give me a break from the bloody paperwork. _"OK, show them in."

The people who entered were very interesting to the Auror-trained Director. On first impressions, they were dressed at a level that suggested significant wealth and bore themselves with the supreme confidence of somebody who knows that they can buy you and your entire family with pocket change. Beyond that, there was no family resemblance for two women with the same surname. One had very tan skin and silver hair, while the other one (a teenager, by the looks of things) had pale skin and black hair.

Closer examination suggested that these two did have some common ancestry somewhere. The facial features were close enough to suggest that they probably shared at least one parent, though probably not both. _Maybe half-sisters, or close cousins. We'll find out._

"Madam Bones?" The elder of the two enquired.

"I am Madam Bones, Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement." Amelia stated formally. It sometimes paid to remind people of what her job was. "How can I help you?"

The pair moved forward at an even pace. "May we be seated?" The eldest asked. Amelia simply nodded.

The two settled in chairs in front of the Director's desk. The tanned one spoke up.

"I am seeking help with a request I have."

Amelia raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What request is that? And before we go on, which of you is Urd and which is Skuld?"

The older woman looked slightly abashed. "My apologies. I am Urd, this is my sister Skuld." The teenager nodded at the introduction.

"Thank you. Now, your request?" Madam Bones asked neutrally.

"I wish to see the trial records and transcripts for Sirius Black the Third, currently incarcerated at Azkaban for the crime of killing 12 non-magical people and a wizard called Peter Pettigrew." Urd stated simply.

Amelia frowned. She knew of Black, naturally, but why were these people in her office?

"Why have you come to me with this request? I don't normally handle court records." She asked a little acidly.

Skuld's expression changed from boredom to annoyance, while Urd gave a tired smile.

"We have come here because no one else can - or will - help. We started at the help desk that you have set up and they directed us to the office of the Court Scribe. When we got there, we found another help-desk, but this one was a misnomer because they didn't help us. We were told that they couldn't find the records and that therefore we couldn't see them. I asked to see somebody more senior, and eventually ended up with the Court Scribe himself. He told us that the records were not available. I pressed him, and told me - rather brusquely - that if I was really concerned that I should come and see you. So here I am." Urd finished her oration with a smirk.

Amelia gritted her teeth. _Peter Weatherby and I will have words about this._

"I see. Well, now that you are here I suppose it behoves me as an officer of the Wizengamot to help you. But, if I may ask...why do you want to see the records of a trial that happened almost eight years ago?"

Skuld was looking bored again. Urd's smile did not slip. "Lily Potter was our first cousin, once removed."

The Director was just a little startled by that statement. _Relatives of the Boy-Who-Lived?_

"I see. And so you wish to see the trial records because...?"

Urd sighed. "When it comes to the death of our cousin, we only know what is on the public record. Sirius Black was implicated in betraying our relative to Voldemort-" Amelia flinched at hearing the name, "-and we have no information as to why. By all accounts James Potter and he were very close friends. We were hoping that he might have given some of his motives away during his testimony. It might give us some closure, if nothing else."

Amelia could understand that. She had spent years wondering about what had motivated the Death Eaters who had murdered her older brother, and witnessing their trials had been cathartic.

Well, this was as good an excuse as any to get away from the pile of paperwork on her desk. _Plus it will give me a chance to see if Archives is doing their job properly. _

Madam Bones stood up, which prompted her guests to follow suit. "Very well. I will accompany you to the office of the Court Scribe, where we will find the relevant records even if we have to search the shelves ourselves." _And I'll issue some reminders that people assigned to help-desk duty are meant to actually help members of the public._

* * *

><p>Belldandy was currently enjoying the sensation of driving her new car. Normally, she didn't particularly care about driving one way or another; it was just another task necessary to blend in on Earth. Racing with Keiichi had been different, because it was more than just a way of getting somewhere. Racing was a test of skill, with more than just a bit of adrenaline thrown in.<p>

Though to be honest she enjoyed racing for the same reason she was enjoying her new car. It was because Keiichi was involved.

Belldandy got into racing because Keiichi was part of the Nekomi Tech Motor Club. She'd enjoyed it primarily because it was something she could share with him. Later she discovered that she enjoyed it for its own sake, but racing without Keiichi was never as satisfying as racing with him. She especially enjoyed sidecar racing - particularly after the pair of them had raced Chihiro's custom sidecar racer against the spirit of a lost bike.

Today, however, Belldandy was not racing. Nor was she driving with Keiichi. She did have a passenger, one Harry James Potter. The pair of them had a few tasks to achieve in the local area today, and Belldandy had decided that it was a good opportunity to try out Keiichi's present.

Task number one had already been completed. A quick review of the phone directory had revealed that there was a primary school within easy walking distance of their home, and the pair of them had paid a visit. After some negotiation, Harry's transfer from his previous school in Little Whinging was sorted out for the 1989/90 academic year. Belldandy made the effort to inform the headmaster of Harry's previous "difficult" home situation while Harry was being shown around the school library. The headmaster had assured Belldandy that they would keep an eye out for any potential problems that might arise.

After that, it had been time to go shopping. Belldandy had declared Harry's meagre wardrobe of Dudley's cast-offs to be completely inadequate and had taken her ward on a tour of the local clothing stores. The boot of the car was now packed with Harry's new garments, which left the Norn of the Present wondering if they'd have room for the final item she wanted to acquire this morning. She spotted her destination on Stockwell Head, and gave Harry a quick smile.

"Just one more thing, then we can go home for lunch."

Harry smiled in return. The day had been awesome so far - it was the first time he could remember somebody buying him new clothes. He'd even enjoyed the experience. For all that he wasn't that fond of having to constantly try on new items, the running conversation he'd had with Belldandy (who, after Harry had called her "Miss Odinsdotter", had insisted that he call her "Aunty Bell") over the course of the shopping spree had allowed him to get to know her more. He'd already started that process when they had worked together in the garden and the kitchen, but today had allowed the pair to learn about each other beyond their mutual thoughts on gardening and cooking.

"Sounds great, Aunty!"

* * *

><p>At the Ministry of Magic, Director Amelia Bones was in a foul mood. This was reflected in her expression, not that her two guests appeared to notice or care. Urd was currently examining shelf labels with a disinterested air while Skuld was looking around as if she wanted to dismantle everything in the room and rebuild it into something more efficient.<p>

Truth be told, Amelia half wished that Skuld would give into the impulse and do exactly that. They were currently deep inside the Wizengamot archives, undertaking the pains-taking task of searching box after box of trial transcripts. The room had obviously been designed and filled with the idea of packing the maximum quantity of parchment in the minimum amount of space, with no consideration for the possibility that anybody might actually want to retrieve any of the records later on.

Naturally, this made finding and extracting any records an extraordinarily difficult task. It didn't help that the Chief Archivist appeared to be completely useless.

When Amelia Bones had arrived at the office of the Court Scribe, the staff had been a lot more eager to help than they had been when two civilians had asked for assistance earlier. But when Madam Bones had asked for the records of Sirius Black's trial, the helpfulness had proven futile.

The damn files were just impossible to find.

There had been any number of suggestions as to where to look. The DMLE had its own archive system which was mostly intended to store files relevant to its day to day tasks, but some trial records were stored there in case of a repeat offence (Amelia had personally seen to the relocation of all of Lucius Malfoy's legal records from the main archives into the DMLE's system). Unfortunately, there was no trace of Sirius Black's legal processes in there.

Nor had they been in the archives of the Court Scribe. The master archive of the Wizengamot was the last resort. It contained the official record of every bit of business that went before the Wizengamot, so there was plenty of chaff to wade through (Amelia was amazed at how the regulations regarding the thickness of cauldron bottoms had been turned into a pressing issue worthy of four hours of debate just four days after the death of You-Know-Who, apparently at the instigation of one Peter Weatherby).

Coincidentally, said idiot chose that moment to interrupt her thoughts. "Madam Bones? I have retrieved the Principis Carta. Would you care to come out where there is light?"

Amelia just nodded, and shoved the box she had been rifling through back onto its shelf without much care. She walked out to find the Principis Carta waiting for her on a large table. She was only dimly aware that she had been followed by the Odinsdotter sisters.

The Principis Carta was the official record of all Wizengamot business, and had been since it had been known as the Wizard's Council. Rumours of the book's origins were varied, but what interested Amelia was its contents. To save space, the book only recorded the topics of discussion, next to the date and time of the debate.

Thus, on the day that Peter Weatherby had seen fit to waste everybody's time with talk about cauldrons, the Principis Carta had the following entry: "4th of November, _Anno Domini _1981, 9 A.M. to 1 P.M. - Debate regarding proposed regulations for cauldron manufacture".

It was fairly dry stuff, and did not include finer details such as the fact that only three people had remained awake for the entire four hour debate. The main value in the Principis Carta was as a master index for the archives. Once you knew when a particular issue was discussed in front of the Wizengamot, finding it in the archives was a lot easier.

It had taken the Court Scribe a good hour and a half to find the priceless relic of the past. Amelia already had a whole series of punishment tasks mentally mapped out for the inept bureaucrat.

"OK, let us see here..." Urd muttered as she leant over the tome. Amelia moved to join her, and they started to work their way down the list.

"We know Black killed Pettigrew and twelve muggles on the 3rd of November," Amelia muttered, "he was arrested on the spot. His trial should have taken place shortly after that."

Urd and Amelia started to work their way down the list of proceedings as Skuld tried to convince Weatherby of the need to modernise the archive system. They quickly skimmed over several weeks of Wizengamot activity, including many famous trials of Death Eaters.

Eventually, Urd leaned back. "We've just reached June of 1983, and there has been no mention of a trial for Sirius Black. In fact his name hasn't appeared once. Isn't there something regarding Habeas Corpus for this?"

Amelia paused to think. "There is nothing that requires a trial by a certain date, but if somebody were held in custody for an extended period without trial they would be in a position to file a writ of Habeas Corpus which would have forced his release."

Urd looked at the Director for a moment. "Let's go through the rest of this book and find out just when Sirius Black did go to trial. It has to be in here somewhere."

Amelia nodded. "This explains why we didn't find it in the archives. We didn't look beyond 1982."

The search through the large book continued, interrupted only by Madam Bones calling for lunch to be delivered. Eventually, they reached a blank page. Amelia turned it over, only to find another blank page. She quickly riffled through the rest of the book, only to find it bereft of any text. They had obviously reached the end of the current records.

The Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement looked at the book in disbelief. "This can't be right...we found no mention of Black anywhere."

Urd looked thoughtful. "I doubt that we could have both missed it. So that means..."

"...that Sirius Black has never gone to trial." Amelia finished. The two women looked at each other for a moment. Urd finally broke the silence.

"Say, Sirius Black was at least charged with murder, wasn't he? My understanding is that even if you have no time limit on when the trial happens, there is a limit on how long you can hold somebody without charge, correct?"

Amelia's mind whirled at the implications. "That record would be in the Auror's archive. We'd better go look."

Amelia Bones, Urd Odinsdotter and a disgruntled Skuld Odinsdotter marched from the office of the Court Scribe in a determined fashion, headed straight for the Auror Department.

* * *

><p>Harry looked at his Aunty Bell with an astonished expression. He had never had anything like this happen to him before...<p>

Belldandy looked back with her ever-present smile. "Right, now that we've unpacked it, we can assemble your new bicycle. Then you can start to learn how to ride it, OK?"

Harry just nodded dumbly. He'd never had a bike before.

* * *

><p>At the Auror's archive, Amelia Bones was just about ready to spit chips. She had no less than five Aurors assisting her in this search, and they had found...nothing. No record of Sirius Black ever being charged with the murder of one wizard and twelve muggles. Not even the most basic of charge sheets to be found.<p>

It was enough to tax Amelia's badly strained patience to the limit. _Either our record keeping is brilliant at losing things, or..._

_...Sirius Black has been in Azkaban since 1981 without having been charged or tried._

Even if he was a murderous scumbag, this total violation of the justice system made Amelia's blood boil. There were laws for a _reason_, damn it.

She beckoned for the most senior Auror in the room to come over. Once he was in range, she started to give orders in a low voice.

"Deputy Auror Chief Scrimgeour, I want you to take nine of your most trusted Aurors to Azkaban immediately. You are to take Sirius Black into custody and bring him to the cells here at the Ministry of Magic. Get him medical attention, and do not leave him unsupervised at any time."

Rufus Scrimgeour nodded. He was the most senior Auror in the department after the Chief, and this case looked like it might damage anybody who was even remotely involved in Black's original arrest. Which, by some happy coincidence, included the current Chief but did not include Scrimgeour. _This could mean an early promotion, _Rufus thought to himself.

Amelia Bones turned to her two guests, both of whom were looking with interest at the frantic activity that had erupted in the wake of the Director's orders. "I am sorry that this has taken so much time. It appears that Sirius Black has not only never been tried, but he hasn't been charged either. I have a court case to organise and an investigation to run, so if you will excuse me..."

"Thank you for your time and effort," Urd said smoothly, "I believe we can find our way out."

Amelia nodded to the pair, before stomping off in the direction of her office. She would have to call her niece on the Floo and let her know that she would probably not get home tonight. Fortunately, the niece (and ward) of the Director of the DMLE rated bodyguards who could take care of the 9 year old girl while her loving aunt was busy.

* * *

><p>As the two Norns walked through the Ministry, Skuld noticed that they weren't heading for the exit. "Hey, where are we going now?"<p>

Urd gave her a chagrined look. "We're going to the other thing I wanted to get done at the Ministry. That first task shouldn't have taken us more than an hour, and I wanted to see if I could get all of our pressing Ministry business done before lunch. I hadn't expected that mess with the archives."

Skuld sighed. "I'm just surprised that they haven't lost more files, given how badly organised it all was. Just one thing..."

Urd looked over inquiringly. "Yes?"

Skuld skewered her oldest sister with a glare. "How come this was a surprise to you? Wasn't all this in Harry's Yggdrasil file, or Sirius Black's?"

Urd grimaced. "No. We're operating under Prophecy Fulfilment rules now, so the data we have access to is restricted."

Skuld blinked. "What rules?" Urd glanced at her sister in disbelief.

"I would have thought you'd know about these better than anyone, considering the work you did in the Prophecies section. When a Prophecy is classified as being endangered such that agents are assigned to fix the situation, all data relating to the subjects of the Prophecy is restricted. In this case, that not only covers Harry's file, but the files of those who are close to him as well. In this case it was Sirius Black, but we'll run into similar problems with Voldemort's file and Dumbledore's."

Skuld now looked exasperated. "That'll make this whole job really hard! Why do they do this?"

Urd shrugged. "Ask Father the next time you talk to him. It is his rule. I think it has something to do with the nature of the Prophecies themselves."

"What do you mean?" Skuld asked.

Urd had a look of concentration. "We know that the Almighty has some grand plan worked out, even if we don't know what it is. Because free will exists, sometimes we have to act to put things back on the course the Almighty has in mind. That can mean a wish, as Belldandy granted to Keiichi, or it could just be having a field agent do something as basic as giving small change to a beggar on the street. Prophecies are another tool of divine intervention, and the one that gets used the most."

"Why is that?" Skuld asked.

"Because a properly implemented Prophecy will have humans do all the work," Urd explained, "all we do is point them in the right direction. Father believes that it is better to have people work to help themselves rather than do the work for them."

"That makes sense," Skuld said thoughtfully, "so when agents are sent to resolve problems with a Prophecy..."

"...we are only meant to do what is needed to get things back on course." Urd finished for her. "In this case, we are to arrange things such that the magical world will solve its own problems according to the rough directions set out by the Prophecy."

"So that's why we can't get access to all of the files," Skuld said as understanding dawned, "because we might be tempted to go and fix everything ourselves."

Urd nodded. "Exactly. We could deal with this whole problem in a few weeks if we had all the resources of Asgard at our disposal and a directive to sort it all out. But humanity would learn nothing if we did, hence this long and convoluted process of helping them help themselves."

"Fine." Skuld said. "Now what was the other thing you wanted to do here?"

Urd pointed at a sign on a door ahead. "Floo Network Authority. I'm going to get us hooked up to the Floo Network. Remember that fireplace in the living room?"

Skuld looked surprised. "The one we never use because the house now has a central water heating system?"

"Yeah, that one. It is perfect for the Floo Network, all we'll need to do is rig it with gas burners. Unless you really want to be shovelling coal."

Skuld shuddered. "I'll pass, thanks. What about security?"

Urd looked at her sister approvingly. "Well done, that was good forward thinking. We'll have to set up a runic array on the mantle that will allow us to control access, and even shut it down when we don't want it. I was thinking of giving you that project - it'll allow you to practice your runes and array formulation."

Skuld beamed. It wasn't every day that Urd gave her responsibility for an important job.

Urd went on. "I'll also be placing charms on the records here. We don't want anybody finding out our address through the Floo Network Authority. Not that it'll slow down anybody determined, but let's make their job as hard as possible. Watch my spellwork closely, Skuld, you'll have to learn how to do this kind of thing yourself."

The two sisters entered the Floo Network Authority, and found the help desk was unattended. Skuld looked at Urd.

"I do hope this doesn't take as long as the Department of Magical Law Enforcement." Urd just nodded in reply.

* * *

><p>Urd and Skuld arrived home from their trip to the Ministry at roughly the same time that Keiichi returned from his job. After Harry had shown them his new bicycle, they all pitched in to help with preparing dinner.<p>

While they were eating, Belldandy and Harry monopolised the conversation as they discussed their day. Keiichi sympathised with Harry regarding the trauma of clothes shopping, which amused the women at the table no end. Harry then went on to talk about his first bicycle lessons, which prompted Skuld to talk about her painful experiences in learning how to ride.

Later that evening, after Harry had gone to bed, the Norns gathered for another situation update. Keiichi had obligingly gone to read his English textbooks in another room.

Belldandy received the news regarding Sirius Black calmly, though her sisters could see that she was quite upset at the apparent injustice of the situation. They had started to make contingency plans for the possible outcomes of the new investigation that had been launched by the DMLE when Skuld's watch chimed.

"We've got mail," the youngest Norn said briefly, before she accessed her terminal.

"Ah, we've got the response from Eir regarding Harry's scar." She reported. "It looks large."

"Forward copies to us, dear, and we can read through it ourselves." Belldandy directed gently.

Skuld tapped out some commands, and soon all three sisters were engrossed in the long and complex report that had been sent by the Goddess of Healing. Once they had all finished, there was a long period of silence that was finally broken by Belldandy.

"Oh dear. This is a bit more complicated than I thought it would be."

Urd and Skuld stared at their sister for a moment, before they looked at each other. _Only Belldandy could call this cluster-fuck "a bit more complicated" like that, _Urd thought to herself.

* * *

><p>Author's notes: once again, many thanks to the caring people at Caer Azkaban who have helped me make this story vaguely canon compliant, as well as keeping my portrayal of life in 1980s England semi-accurate.<p>

Regarding Auror ranks - I'm going to use an adaptation of existing English Police ranks, replacing "Commissioner" with "Chief" (there might be a few other alterations). This isn't canonical but I needed something to establish Scrimgeour's place in the pecking order.

There is actually a school fairly close to where I have placed the Norns in Hinckley. I have no idea if it was there in 1989 or if it is a good school or not - in this universe there was a decent school within easy walking distance of the Norns' church.

Regarding Bagnold, the best information I have states that her term as Minister of Magic was basically the same as Thatcher's term as Prime Minister, 1979-90. At the time this chapter is set, Bagnold is still the Minister.

Next chapter: Tuesday happens.


	6. Chapter 6: Soul Music

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Harry Potter or Oh My Goddess

* * *

><p>The Ministry of Magic has an odd public image. On the one hand, the average wizard on the street would, when asked, tell you that the Ministry was full of "idiots and duffers" who couldn't pour water out of a boot with the instructions written on the heel.<p>

On the other hand, the same average wizard would also be more than willing to foist more jobs onto the Ministry when it came to the social ills of the magical world. An evening spent at the Leaky Cauldron would earn an attentive listener no less than 30 "they oughta" statements, with no doubt left as to who "they" are.

More than one social commentator had discussed this conflicted view. Amelia Bones had no doubts as to where it arose from.

_Too many people don't trust us to do our jobs properly, yet they are more than willing to give us more work rather than take on the responsibility themselves, _she thought darkly as she strode determinedly towards the Ministry holding cells. Sirius Black had been retrieved from Azkaban late the previous evening, and had been under the supervision of trusted Healers from St Mungo's. The detrimental effects of long-term exposure to Dementors was well known, necessitating the involvement of people outside of the DMLE's chain of command.

Amelia Bones didn't like the fact that she was getting more people involved, but the DMLE's staff of Healers was more focussed on battlefield injuries and post-mortems. They would not be of much help when it came to treating Black. The problem was that as more people got involved, the chances of the press being informed increased.

_I don't want the newspapers getting wind of this until I have everything ready to go, _the Director thought to herself, _I don't know how or why Black got sent to Azkaban without trial, but I cannot rule out the chance that somebody in the Ministry did it deliberately in order to keep him silent. Until the trial is ready to go, Black's status will have to remain under wraps._

Amelia slowed her pace as she neared the cell that currently housed Black. Two Healers were standing just outside the door, apparently comparing notes. Several Aurors were standing nearby, acting as an escort for the medical personnel in case the prisoner turned violent. Madam Bones cleared her throat gently as she came within earshot.

"Ah, Director, nice to see you again." The elder of the two, one Healer Patrick Cutteridge, said as he looked up with a smile. Amelia couldn't help but smile back. Cutteridge had been in her class and House at Hogwarts, they had been good friends then and remained that way. _Thank Merlin for small mercies, I can trust Patrick to keep this confidential._

"Hello, Patrick. How are the children?" Bones said by way of greeting.

The Healer's smile widened. "Just fine. Alan has started his apprenticeship in Auckland, and Deirdre is looking forward to her last year at Hogwarts. She's been a Prefect these last few years, I'm not sure I can take the shame."

"I'm sure you'll be able to think of some ludicrous prank that will restore the family honour," Amelia said with a smirk, "now, if we can move on to the reason why you are here..."

The Healer nodded as his expression became slightly more serious. "Well, he's in a pretty bad way. It is obvious that he hasn't been fed properly while he was at that ghastly place. I feel a need to have another surprise medical audit of the place, the staff have been warned about treating the prisoners properly before. Beyond that, however..." Cutteridge trailed off, looking pensive.

Amelia tensed. "Is there a problem?"

Patrick sighed as he looked at a piece of parchment in his hands. "Yes and no. The good news is that, mentally, he's doing very well. Well enough that once his physical condition has improved, he should not require any time spent with a Mind Healer such as myself."

Madam Bones blinked. "That's better than I had expected. So what is the bad news?"

Both Healers turned and stared through the small barred window in the cell's door. "Not so much bad news as unexpected news. He's been in the company of Dementors for the better part of 8 years. His mental state does not reflect that at all. There's something else involved here which means that he has not been feeling the full effects of the Dementors. Either they didn't come near him very often, or he has some sort of natural immunity."

Rufus Scrimgeour had been lurking nearby, and looked over at the statement. "He was in the maximum security wing, along with the convicted Death Eaters. The Dementors patrol that section regularly, Black would have had one outside his cell door at least once a day if not more."

Cutteridge now looked confused. "I can't explain this. Something has shielded him from the Dementors, which is practically unheard of."

The Director of the DMLE decided to take control before her case got turned into a medical research project. "Whatever the cause, when will he be ready to stand trial?"

At this, both Healers looked surprised. "Trial? Is that why he's here?" The younger of the two asked.

"Yes. An inquiry from a member of the public made yesterday revealed that Sirius Black has never gone to trial or been charged. Consequently, from a legal standpoint we cannot keep him in Azkaban without allowing him his day in court. In regards to that..."

Both Healers had their attention focussed on the Director. "Yes, Madam Bones?" Cutteridge's air of familiarity had disappeared as he became aware of the gravity of the situation.

"Until we are ready to start the trial, Sirius Black's status must remain absolutely secret. I am not convinced that he wasn't put in Azkaban by political enemies seeking to keep Black silent. He might know things about the Death Eaters that some people wanted to keep secret. If that was the case, those enemies might still be in positions of power or influence within the Ministry. The system let Mr Black down once, I will not allow it to happen again. Therefore, nobody will know about this mess until five minutes before I produce him in court. Understood?" This last question was directed at the assembled Aurors as well as the two Healers.

There were nods from everybody. "Perfectly, Madam Bones. My team will keep their mouths shut or I'll have them in Black's old accommodations at Azkaban." Scrimgeour said seriously. The two Healers simply nodded.

"Excellent. Scrimgeour, once Black is lucid enough to understand what is being said to him, charge him officially. I'm not sure if there is anything on the books that could cover his betrayal of the Potters, but the murder of Peter Pettigrew and twelve muggles will be enough to get him into a court room and full of Veritaserum. Patrick, I'm afraid that I'm going to have to second you and your friend here to the DMLE for the foreseeable future."

Cutteridge sighed. "Can't be helped I suppose. We'll need some office space to work out of though, if I stay at St Mungo's there'll be too many questions asked."

"I'll get something set up for them, Director." Scrimgeour put in.

"Good. Inform me the minute that Black has been formally charged, and do it properly! I don't want any technicalities to exist at all for this case, it is already a dog's breakfast without adding more errors. Once that's done, I'll get a trial set up quick smart. You all know what you have to do?" There was a series of nods from all assembled. "Good. Then let's get back to work."

* * *

><p>In Hinckley, daily life for the Norns was still far from any sort of routine. Some aspects were predictable enough - Belldandy still got up before everybody else did to prepare breakfast, though she had been joined by Harry again. After the morning meal, Keiichi had set off for his place of work while the sisters cleaned up the inevitable mess that was created by five people eating together.<p>

Today was going to be a difficult one, thanks to the events of the previous evening and the little present that had been delivered to Urd's desk sometime between midnight and dawn.

Eir's report had caused a small crisis. Principally because it contained clear instructions on what the Norns _had _to do regarding Harry's scar. Instructions that the Norns felt might force them to step over the line between fixing the Prophecy and fixing the problems the Prophecy was meant to fix. Deitiies assigned to Prophecy field work always danced on that line, which was usually so fine as to be invisible.

On the face of it, the report had been simple. Harry's scar contained a fragment of somebody else's soul, which was sustaining itself using Harry's innate magic in a parasitical relationship. Eir was absolutely clear on the fact that this was an intolerable situation that had to be rectified immediately, for Harry's physical, mental and magical health. The Goddess of Healing was known for never making compromises when it came to her patients' health, and Harry was no exception.

The problem was that the Norns could only identify one possible person who could have somehow ended up with a piece of their soul stuck in Harry's scar. That person was Voldemort, the other subject of the Prophecy that they were trying to repair. Urd and Belldandy had both been worried that tampering with the soul fragment in any fashion might invalidate the Prophecy.

After some discussion and argument, Belldandy had organised a conference call between all three Norns, the current Director of the Prophecies Department, Eir and the Almighty himself. Eir's report was discussed, before the implications of the soul fragment were argued over.

Ultimately, Eir had gotten her way. As determined as the Prophecies Director might have been, even the Almighty tended to defer the determined Goddess of Healing when it came to medical issues. The clincher had been Eir's declaration that "if the Norns don't remove that bloody soul fragment, I'll go down to Midgard and do it myself". As nobody wanted to get in Eir's way should she actually follow that course of action, the Norns had been given the go ahead to remove the soul fragment.

That morning, Urd had woken up to be greeted by the sight of a Type 5 Soul Containment Vessel. Urd had never bothered to familiarise herself with the technology, but she recognised it easily enough. It was a fairly large piece of carefully cut pure quartz crystal, mounted in a golden decorative tripod that was engraved with numerous runes. The basic idea was that the quartz would contain the soul piece while the golden tripod would not only give it a stable support but would also act as an energy sink, providing the power required to keep the soul fragment stable.

This morning, however, brought with it the cold hard reality of the fact that they had to tell Harry about what was in his scar, and what it meant for him down the track.

Urd quietly approached Skuld while Harry was helping Belldandy put plates away. "Skuld, can you keep Harry occupied for an hour or so? Maybe show him what you've been doing with Sigel, introduce him to Banpei? I need to talk to Belldandy about something to do with his scar, and I'd prefer to not have Harry to overhear at this stage."

Skuld blinked at her oldest sister, before she nodded. "Sure, I can do that."

Urd smiled briefly in response. "Thanks. It looks like we've finished here, so go ahead and show him the world of technomancy..."

It hadn't taken much persuasion to convince Harry that Skuld's inventions were worth a look. Once the pair had gone, Belldandy looked at Urd questioningly.

Urd sighed. "Bell, we need someplace private to discuss this. How about we go to the church and talk. We can start drawing the mandala we'll need for the soul fragment extraction while we're there."

Belldandy simply nodded, and the two sisters made their way to the nave of the church.

"What is it, Urd?" Belldandy asked.

Urd looked worried. "You know more about soul magic than I do. I just wanted to check something. When we extract the fragment, will it be completely clean? I remember reading somewhere that there might be some sort of residue left behind."

Belldandy bit her lip gently as she thought the matter through. "You are correct. There will be some residual traces left behind, though the soul fragment itself will be unharmed. That residue should dissipate fairly quickly, though, so it is nothing to worry about."

Urd nodded. "OK. What type of residue are we talking about?"

Belldandy looked thoughtful. "Raw magical energy that has taken an imprint, for want of a better word, from the soul fragment. There is a small barrier of magical energy that separates the parasitical soul piece from Harry's soul, else the two would have merged. When we remove the soul fragment, that energy barrier will be left behind. It will retain the impression of the soul fragment for a time, before it eventually dissipates."

Urd nodded again. "I thought that was the case but I wanted to make sure. Now, I have a crazy idea to try on you, so keep an open mind..."

Belldandy looked at her eldest sister sharply. "What is it, Urd?"

Urd sighed. "As damaging as they were, the Blood Wards did provide Harry with a degree of protection from Voldemort specifically. That protection is now gone, for all that getting rid of those twisted Wards was a good idea. What I wanted to try was a variation on a Soul Ward that would have a similar purpose to the original Blood Wards."

Belldandy was startled. "Soul Wards are the blackest of magic! I can't believe you're proposing this seriously!"

Urd winced. "Not true Soul Wards, though they would be incredibly powerful. I mean that we use the residual magical energy left over once the soul bit is extracted and use that as the base to build a pseudo Soul Ward on. It wouldn't be nearly as effective, because no actual soul would be used, but it should be enough to set the ward up."

Belldandy looked at her sister in disbelief. Soul Wards were pretty much what they sounded like - magical protections that were fuelled by the sacrifice of an entire soul. They were the most powerful form of magical protection possible, but were considered anathema by the forces of Asgard due to the evil nature of their casting. Even the demons of Niflheim were reluctant to get involved, if only because damaged souls were not nearly as useful as whole ones.

This idea, though, of creating a Soul Ward without a soul..."How would you keep the ward powered? Creating it would use all of the residual energy."

Urd looked at her fingernails. "Have you noticed that Harry's scar is roughly in the shape of a Sowilo rune?"

Belldandy paused. "Now that you mention it, I believe that you are right."

Urd continued. "Once the soul fragment is gone, the scar will remain. My idea was to inscribe micro-runes in the scar tissue that would be the ward array, while also establishing the broader shape of the scar as a Sowilo rune that would act as an energy accumulator. That way the ward would be self-sustaining and would not draw on Harry's magic."

A look of understand dawned on Belldandy's face. "That makes sense. It also explains why you wanted to talk to me about this."

"Yes, you're the only one of us who could create the runic scheme required in that small a space. Especially as we want these to be so small you can't see them with the naked eye." Urd concluded.

Belldandy frowned slightly as she thought the process through. "So we would conduct Eir's soul fragment removal process first, and then follow it up immediately with the creation of this pseudo Soul Ward."

Urd nodded. "That was my understanding of how we would proceed."

Belldandy directed another sharp glance at her sister. "You do realise that this would not have nearly the power of the original Blood Wards, don't you?"

Urd shrugged. "It can't be helped. Besides, the Blood Wards I took down had warped to the point where any protection they offered might have caused some negative side-effects on Harry as well. Not to mention that I very much doubt that they were anywhere near as strong as they were when they were cast. This scheme should at least not hurt Harry, which is more than could be said of the previous protection."

Belldandy inclined her head in agreement. "Very well then. If you work with me, we can get the runes calculated for this ward. It should not take us very long working together."

"OK, sis," Urd said with fake cheer, "I'll follow your lead. We'll also have to figure out the addition to Eir's ritual, and how we can seamlessly mesh them."

* * *

><p>Harry was amazed at what Skuld was doing. He was aware of robots from the occasional glimpse of some of Dudley's favourite TV shows and computer games, but Skuld...had built real ones?<p>

They seemed to work, too. In Sigel's case, however, some bits worked better than others. Which was getting quite annoying.

"Honestly! How long does it take to fix a simple pair of legs?" The apparently young and female robot said. It was about the tenth time she had said that exact sentence in the past 25 minutes.

"Oh shut up. Legs are really hard, you know! Walking is very difficult to achieve!" Skuld said caustically. Harry could tell that the constant complaining was getting on her nerves.

In the background, Banpei stood as a silent sentinel, ready to supply whatever tool or spare part was needed at a moment's notice. It was _his _girlfriend that was being mended after all. Even if said girlfriend would dispute that label...most of the time, at least. Harry wondered about Banpei. Sigel looked human, even if she was slightly off somehow. Banpei, on the other hand, only paid lip service to human appearance. While he was bipedal, his head was overly large and completely spherical, with only a token image of a human face painted on (two eyes that were apparently cameras and a rectangle for a mouth). A cylindrical body, with arms and legs that were plainly mechanical. All of this was topped by a large metal version of a what Harry thought looked like a traditional Japanese straw hat. For all that he managed to portray an amazing amount of emotion in his simple movements.

"And yet you managed it twice before. Is the change of climate addling you or something?" Sigel asked bitterly.

There was a sudden flash as Skuld shorted something that should not have been shorted. "For the last time, a critical part went missing in transit! I'm having to jury-rig something to replace it, because I don't have the fabrication facilities I need to make a new one! So keep quiet and let me concentrate!"

Harry wondered if this "Artificial Intelligence" was really the great idea that science fiction made it out to be.

* * *

><p>Urd leaned back from the table that she and Belldandy had been occupying for the better part of an hour. "I think that has it all. If we get started now, we can have everything ready to go for this afternoon."<p>

Belldandy examined the pages of equations and notes that the sisters had produced. "Yes, that looks to be correct. The sooner we deal with this, the better. There is one thing..."

Urd looked over at her sister. "Yes?"

Belldandy turned fully to face Urd. "How do we explain this to Harry? He will be curious, and I don't want to abuse his trust by misleading him. He's had enough of that already."

Urd looked pensive for a moment. "How about we tell him the truth? Maybe not all of it, but there's not a lot that he isn't actually ready for right now."

Belldandy looked worried. "Are you sure?"

Urd nodded firmly. "Yes. Better to get this out of the way early. Besides, I doubt that those idiots who had him before told him the truth about his parents, so we need to explain that much anyway. That will require us to tell him about how they died, and how he got that scar. He deserves that much, even if we hold off on the entire story until later."

Belldandy appeared to think the matter through, before she nodded in agreement. "Very well. Let us draw out the mandala in the church hall, and we can then explain things to Harry over lunch."

Urd nodded again, before she stood up. Grabbing a piece of chalk, she looked at their working area and sighed. "This is going to be the most complex mandala I've ever drawn without Yggdrasil support. We'd better cross-check to make sure we don't make any mistakes."

Belldandy returned the nod, before she picked up her own piece of chalk. The two sisters quickly went to work, inscribing runes, circles and lines on the floor.

* * *

><p>In Skuld's room, there had been some success. Skuld had jury-rigged one of Banpei's spare parts to get Sigel's legs working, which had pleased the young robot immensely. Now Skuld was explaining to Harry the finer points of the features she had built into her robots, including the important things like rocket-punch hands. Eventually, Harry broke in with a question.<p>

"Are Sigel and Banpei magical?"

Skuld looked shocked, while both Sigel and Banpei managed to look offended. "Of course not! They are pure engineering and software, I don't cheat using magic for my creations!" Skuld said in an affronted tone.

Harry raised his hands in a defensive manner. "Sorry! It's just that I've never heard of anybody developing robots even half as good as these before, and I think it would have been well known if they had. I thought they might be under that Statute of Secrecy you were talking about earlier."

Skuld looked worried for a moment. "You're right, they are far in advance of the state of the art. And there just might be some magical stuff built in that I did unconsciously. It is better to treat them as being covered by the Statute, so don't talk about them to anybody outside of our family. OK?"

Harry glanced at the two robots that had taken on pleading postures. "Sure. I doubt anyone would believe me anyway."

The conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. Skuld went over to open it, revealing Belldandy.

"Lunch is almost ready. Would you like to help me with the soup, Harry?"

Harry nodded. "Sure!" Cooking with Belldandy was fast becoming a favourite way to pass the time.

* * *

><p>Once lunch had been served, Urd decided to get the ball rolling.<p>

"Harry, we've got some important things to discuss. It all relates to your scar. Some of it might be a little upsetting, so please tell us if you don't feel up to it."

Harry paused. "Am I in danger?"

Urd looked thoughtful, while Belldandy shook her head. "Strictly speaking, no. That scar has something in it that isn't good for you, but it won't kill you or anything serious like that. But it is something we want to address, and we need to explain why." The oldest sister explained.

"OK then," Harry said simply, "I guess I'm as ready as I'm ever likely to be."

The sisters glanced at each other, before Belldandy began. "Harry, do you know anything about your parents?"

Harry looked down at his lap. "Uncle Vernon said they were dead-beat drunks who died in a car crash."

Urd's eyes narrowed, while Skuld's hands clenched into fists. "Right, well here's one bit of advice: ignore just about everything you've ever heard from that useless idiot. No, Harry, your parents were heroes in the truest sense of the word." Urd stated firmly.

Harry's eyes widened. "Heroes?"

"Yes, Harry," Belldandy replied, "real heroes. Over a decade ago, there was an evil wizard who was trying to conquer magical Britain. He called himself Lord Voldemort, though his reign of terror was so great that most people feared to speak his name. Your parents were amongst those who were brave enough to fight against Voldemort and his followers, and they did so very well."

"So well, in fact, that Voldemort targeted them personally." Urd continued. "After you were born, your parents decided that they couldn't fight Voldemort and keep you safe at the same time. So they went into hiding, using magic to conceal themselves from their enemies."

"Sadly, it didn't work. Voldemort found your parents and attacked your home in Godric's Hollow," Belldandy said with a sorrowful look, "even then your parents only thought about your safety. Your father fought Voldemort personally to buy your mother enough time to get away, unfortunately he was killed."

Urd picked up the thread again. "I must say that there were no witnesses to all of this, so a lot of it is guesswork. We do have a lot of evidence to support our guesses, though. What we do know is that your mother could not escape for some reason, and so she did her best to protect you instead."

"What did she do?" Harry asked in a small voice.

"She created what are known as Blood Wards to protect you from Voldemort," Belldandy said, "these are powerful spells of protection that can defeat almost all known magical attacks. Sadly, they come at a great cost."

Urd leaned forward and looked Harry in the eyes. "She gave her life to power those Blood Wards, Harry. She gave her life to protect you. It was an incredibly noble and courageous thing to do. And it saved your life."

Harry looked up a bit. "How?"

Belldandy resumed again. "Voldemort's favourite spell was something called the 'Killing Curse'. It lives up to its name, as it does nothing but kill and cannot be stopped by conventional magical protections. When he cast it on you, however, the Blood Wards your mother cast on you managed to reflect it back on to him. He was killed by his own spell."

Urd reached over and gently touched Harry's scar. "This scar is the only legacy of that. You are the only person in recorded history to have survived the Killing Curse. And it was all thanks to the actions of your parents. As we said, true heroes."

Harry's eyes watered, and a few tears trickled down his cheeks. "Thank you for telling me."

There were a few moments of silence, before Harry spoke up. "So, what is in my scar that worries you?"

Urd looked grim. "We got some odd readings when we scanned it the other day. We called an expert, who managed to identify that there is some foreign magic in your scar. We think it comes from Voldemort."

Belldandy had adopted haunted look. "It is a piece of a soul, Harry. A foreign soul, not your own. And it is somehow lodged in your scar, acting as a parasite on your own magic."

Harry was horrified. "I have a piece of Voldemort's soul in my scar? How?"

Urd shrugged. "We don't know how. My theory is that the reflected Killing Curse fractured his soul somehow, and a piece of it lodged in the fresh magical wound on your forehead, giving you that scar."

Belldandy leaned over and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "However it got there, it is unhealthy for it to remain. Urd and I have spent the morning working out a ritual that will remove the soul fragment and store it somewhere safe."

Harry's heart rose at the news. "You can remove it?"

Belldandy nodded. "Yes, this afternoon if you want. The sooner the better, I think."

Harry did his best to look resolute. "Please, do this ritual. I want that soul piece gone."

"OK, we'll do it right after we clean up." Urd said as she started to stack plates. "Let's get moving." As they all stood up, Belldandy handed Skuld a small stack of paper.

"Skuld, this covers your part in the ritual. Please note the additions that Urd and I have made at the end of the original process, we'll explain what they do later."

Skuld glanced through the notes. It was complicated, and easily one of the trickiest rituals she had ever been involved in...but she could do this.

It wasn't like she hadn't done harder things in the past.

* * *

><p>Albus Dumbledore was frustrated. Again. It was becoming an all too familiar feeling for the old wizard.<p>

He was not entirely inexperienced to feelings of frustration. He often felt them when Minerva complained about Severus again, or when the Wizengamot could not come to a decision regarding the perennial issue of cauldron regulations, or even when the latest version of the Marauders (there were some in every generation) came up with something truly innovative and hard to stop. Such as the time that Charlie Weasley and Nymphadora Tonks had successfully created a charm that turned all the cauldrons in the Potions Laboratory into cauldron cakes. The complication had arisen when it was discovered that bringing a new cauldron in resulted in a similar transfiguration. Then the staff discovered that this was an unexpected feature of the prank, and that the inventors had no idea as to how to go about stopping the whole effect...

It had taken Flitwick the better part of a day of constant work to bring the Laboratory back to what passed for normal. It had taken the culprits the rest of the year to work off the detentions.

The latest source of frustration was different. Mostly because it was persistent and outside of his power to stop.

_Those damn Odinsdotter sisters continue to stymie every move I make!_

Of course, the most recent set-back suffered by the Supreme Mugwump was not due to any deliberate act by the Odinsdotters that had been intended to thwart him. He had sent inquiries to his contacts in Norway to look into the background of the sisters, hoping to find something that would allow him to challenge the adoption of Harry.

What he received from the Scandinavian country was less than useful. The Odinsdotters were a family in good standing, which meant that they paid their taxes and did not have any sort of criminal record. The sisters were apparently known for their work with wards - which went a long way to explaining the bewildering scheme that he had seen erected in Hinckley - and their devotion to social causes. The middle sister, Belldandy, had apparently worked as a volunteer in an orphanage during the break between her 6th and 7th years at the Norwegian Magical Academy. The eldest sister, Urd, was apparently a genius with potions, having invented two new pain relief brews during her 7th year. These had earned her an instant apprenticeship with a noted Norwegian Potions Master (Albus recognised the name from several publications he was subscribed to), but the apprenticeship was cut short as Urd qualified as a Potions Master in her own right...in a little less than 18 months.

It was a record. Even Severus Snape had taken three years to fully earn his Mastery, though in his case he was juggling his duties as the newly appointed Potions Professor of Hogwarts with his studies.

Belldandy herself had managed to earn a Charms Mastery after two years, though as she did it independent of an apprenticeship and in a foreign country to boot, it was quite the achievement. The youngest Odinsdotter sister, Skuld, had apparently been pursuing her magical education via home schooling since she moved to Japan to be with her sisters, but she had received nothing but Outstandings in her OWLs.

_That might be a possible avenue of approach, _Albus thought to himself, _if Skuld applies to do her NEWTs level courses at Hogwarts...no, that's unlikely. She's been home-schooled into perfect marks and the family apparently dislikes me, so she probably won't come here._

In all his years, Dumbledore had never come across such an impeccable family. There wasn't a single skeleton in the closet. That meant that the Headmaster had no handholds to use to get Harry under his control again.

The Chief Warlock mentally summed up his current options. _Force is out. The Minister is out. The Order, sadly, is out. The law won't help me. Nothing short of full disclosure of the Prophecy to the Ministry will get Harry away from the Odinsdotters at this juncture, which would probably scare them overseas and will tip off Tom and his followers._

_There is nothing for it, I'll just have to wait until Harry comes to Hogwarts. Miss Urd did suggest that Harry would likely attend. Once he's here, I can get his trust and guide him down the correct path._

Any further thought on events to come were interrupted by his fireplace flaring with the arrival of a Floo call. "Chief Warlock Dumbledore? Are you there?"

"Yes, Madam Bones, I am here. What can I do for you?" Albus replied, wondering why the Director of the DMLE was calling him directly instead of sending an owl.

"There will be an emergency meeting of the full Wizengamot tomorrow at nine in the morning. Regulations require me to inform you of this directly in person or by the Floo, as you will be required to be present in your role as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot."

Dumbledore blinked. _An emergency meeting, called this quickly? What in Merlin's name could be going on?_ "I shall be there for the meeting. May I ask what the matter of concern is?"

"I wish I could tell you, Chief Warlock, but I am afraid that there is a certain level of operational security involved." Amelia Bones stated briefly. "I cannot discuss this over the Floo. I'm sure you understand."

Albus nodded. "Only too well, Madam Bones. I shall see you tomorrow, then."

"Thank you, Chief Warlock. Farewell."

The Floo connection ceased abruptly. The Headmaster turned away from the fireplace with a puzzled look.

_An emergency meeting? That will set a upset a lot of people, lords don't like it when their schedules get disrupted at short notice. I do hope that whoever called it had a good reason, else I will be spending a lot of time over the next few days soothing ruffled feathers._

Deciding that the matter could wait until the next day, Dumbledore returned to concocting various plans to gain Harry's trust once he was at Hogwarts.

* * *

><p>When Harry entered the old church, he saw a large and highly elaborate circular diagram on the floor. It had been drawn using chalk like the one he had been in before, but this one was significantly more complicated.<p>

In the middle was a seven pointed star formed of straight lines drawn from point to point, the centre of which was just large enough for a person to lie down in. The star was enclosed by a double circle which formed a band around the entire diagram. Inside this band was a long string of incomprehensible symbols, which Harry assumed were runes of some sort.

More runes had been drawn in various parts of the star's many internal shapes. Harry noticed a large crystal mounted on some sort of gold support that had been placed in a five sided area just "above" the central area. Three diamond shaped areas that were "left", "right" and "below" the central area were conspicuously free of any runes. Finally, candles had been placed at the seven points.

Harry looked at Belldandy questioningly. She squeezed his shoulder gently. "This mandala will allow us to remove the soul fragment and place it in that crystal. Unfortunately this process will be extremely painful for you, so we have reworked the ritual a bit. The first thing we will do is send you to sleep so that you will not suffer during the ritual."

Urd gave a reassuring grin. "Think of it as a magical general anaesthetic. You'll just go to sleep, and when you wake up it will all be over. Hopefully you won't feel any pain this way, but your scar may ache when you wake up."

Harry nodded, before he looked back at the...mandala, as Aunty Bell had called it. "Do I stand in the middle again?"

Belldandy nodded. "Yes, though you should lie down for this. Be careful to not step on any runes or lines as you get there, as you might break the mandala."

"That shape in the middle of the star is called a heptagon, incidentally. We will be in the unmarked diamonds you can see." Urd drawled with a lazy grin.

"OK," Harry said quietly, "can we start now?"

Belldandy nodded again, as Urd's grin grew. "Certainly. Just lie down in the centre, and we will begin."

Harry gingerly tip-toed his way to the centre of the mandala. Once he was lying down, he gave a quick thumbs up to his cousins.

"That's fine, hold it right there. Just relax, Harry, once we start you should fall asleep very quickly."

Harry waited, and then heard...singing. His cousins were singing in a language he didn't understand, but it didn't matter. It was beautiful music, and he could feel it carry him away...

* * *

><p>At the Ministry of Magic, Amelia Bones stepped away from the Floo in her office with a satisfied smile. Sirius Black had regained lucidity very quickly for a man who had been keeping company with dementors for almost eight years, resulting in Scrimgeour laying charges earlier that day. Well, Black had been lucid enough to be charged, at least.<p>

Amelia had then called for a full emergency meeting of the Wizengamot. Emergency meetings were rare, and were intended only for the most serious crisis situations. The non-trial of Sirius Black technically did not count, but the Director wanted surprise on her side. She was hoping that Black's testimony would help her find out who might have conspired to have him imprisoned without trial, and she didn't want her star witness to suffer any "accidents" that might arise should the nature of the Wizengamot session be circulated in advance.

Madam Bones suspected that some of the Death Eaters who had been pardoned due to "being under the Imperius" had arranged for Black to be locked away in Azkaban to prevent him from testifying. She hoped that Black knew enough to get some of those bastards in Azkaban with their former colleagues - she hadn't believed the Imperius excuse at the time of the Death Eater trials and she didn't believe it now.

_With luck, we can get enough out of Black when he is under the influence of Veritaserum to get more of the bastards in prison. _Black had actually agreed to be questioned while under the influence of the truth potion, which had surprised the Aurors handling the case - no other Death Eater had ever taken the potion during the trials, and the Wizengamot had no power to force a prisoner to take it. Or at least it _chose _to not have that power - technically, the Wizengamot could compel any person on trial before it to take Veritaserum, but that required a vote. Apparently the members of the Wizengamot didn't want to set a precedent for forcing the truth potion, probably because they were all worried that it might be them in the prisoner's dock at some point in the future.

Getting the emergency meeting organised had taken the better part of the afternoon, as she had to personally inform the Minister and Chief Warlock. She had then taken the precaution of notifying each and every member of the Wizengamot. She would need at least 30 out of the 50 members to attend in order to have a quorum. The fact that this meeting of the Wizengamot had been called as an emergency technically required all members to attend, but creative excuses for non-attendance were not unheard of. As any punishment for non-attendance was set on an individual basis by a vote of the Wizengamot, there was no real way of enforcing members to actually show up.

Amelia was sure that tomorrow would see a full sitting. The vague nature of the business to be put before the Wizengamot would spark their curiosity if nothing else. Now she just needed a prosecutor, as she was damned if she was going to let anyone other than herself be the judge for this case.

* * *

><p>The three Norns were reaching the most difficult stage of the ritual that would remove the soul fragment from Harry's scar. Singing in perfect harmony, the sisters now had their angels out and singing in unison to add extra power. World of Elegance, Holy Bell and Noble Scarlet were all fully manifest with their host goddesses Urd, Belldandy and Skuld as the song directed magical energy around the mandala.<p>

Harry would never know the true majesty of the event, as he was by that stage firmly asleep and would not wake up for several hours. Sound muffling charms on the church walls, doors and windows prevented the sound leaking out. This was necessary, as the sounds of three goddesses and their angels singing in harmony is to normal music what a full strength Veela allure aura is to a Barbie Doll.

The music, however, was purposeful. The Norns could see Harry's scar apparently open in a fashion not unlike a zipper, leaving it an angry red that was weeping blood. The singing changed note slightly as the scar finished opening, and now the true battle began.

Eir had known that the soul fragment would be firmly attached, and that it would take some considerable effort to get it out of Harry. She had planned this ritual to hit it with everything the three Norns and their angels could give, yet do so with the subtlety of the finest surgeon's scalpel. This required the incredibly elaborate advanced preparation, especially as Urd and Belldandy had decided to make their own addition to the process.

The song took on extra intensity, and a black smoke started to appear from Harry's now open wound. It started to coalesce just above his forehead, and writhed in a lifelike manner. Minute by minute, the smoke came out steadily, and a small cloud formed over Harry's face.

Suddenly there was a burst of smoke from Harry's wound, smoke so thick it seemed to be the consistency of ink, and the cloud over Harry seemed to shrink on itself. The Norns' song changed slightly again, and the black amorphous shape seemed to be forced away from the supine boy at a snail's pace.

This apparent game of tug-of-war continued for several minutes, as the blackness that was the soul fragment was pushed away from its former host. It was being driven towards the crystal vessel, slowly but steadily.

Finally, the cloud was barely six inches away from the crystal. There was sudden change in note from the goddesses, with their angels singing a descant. The fragment of soul was abruptly sucked into the crystal, which promptly changed from its pure clarity to a black, smoky colour.

The singing changed again, though it was now a more urgent melody. Golden light appeared at the top of Harry's opened scar, apparently growing from the top down. At a scale too small to be seen by the naked eye, runes describing a specific ward of protection were being etched into the scar tissue that had once surrounded the soul fragment, their very creation sucking in the last of the energies that had the imprint of Voldemort's soul.

Finally the intricate sequence of runes was complete, and the whole scar seemed to glow a golden colour for a brief moment. Then the scar closed in on itself, reversing the "zipper" effect that had marked the start of the soul removal. Once the wound had closed itself up, it pulsed with a golden light for one final moment before returning to normal.

The Norns finished their singing, bringing their music to a harmonious conclusion. As soon as the last note died away, all three slumped slightly. Their angels looked at them slightly worriedly for a moment, before they withdrew back into their hosts.

"That was one of the most tiring things I've done since...well, ever." Skuld declared. "Can I have some ice cream?"

"You've earned it, squirt," Urd said tiredly, "I think I'm going to go and finish that last bottle of _sake_ I brought with me from Japan. Guess I'll have to find out if the local spirits give me as much of a boost."

Belldandy gently walked over to Harry, and inspected the scar closely. It had changed colour, and was now much paler, though it was still obvious to anyone who looked for it. "It appears to have been a success." She cast a quick detection spell, and relaxed as the results appeared. "The ward has been successfully established too. Your idea has been a success, Urd dear."

"What idea?" Skuld asked.

"I'll explain later, kid," Urd said as she walked over to the soul container. "For now I need to store this someplace secure until we can figure out what we're going to do with it."

Belldandy gestured and Harry's body floated up off the floor. "I'll put Harry to bed. Hopefully he'll wake up before dinner. In the meantime, I think we all need to rest."

Urd glanced at the mandala that still decorated the floor. "We need to clean this up fairly quickly. Skuld, can your tin can take care of this?"

Skuld was too tired to start her usual argument with Urd, and just nodded. "Sure, Banpei is running at one hundred per cent. He'll have this place cleaned up in no time."

The three Norns returned to the house, satisfied with a job well done. Harry's unconscious body trailed behind like a tethered balloon.

* * *

><p>Sirius Black the Third was confused. He had been minding his own business in his cell at Azkaban, transformed into his animagus form to keep the worst effects of the dementors at bay (the fur coat was a bonus) when his sensitive ears had picked up the sound of approaching guards.<p>

He had changed back into his human form by reflex more than anything else, before he realised that it was not time for a meal. This was baffling, as the human guards avoided the high security wing like the plague thanks to the regular dementor patrols. If they weren't feeding the prisoners, they were elsewhere in the old fortress.

Bafflement had turned into complete bewilderment as the approaching footsteps revealed themselves as being Aurors in full uniform rather than the normal guards. Being taken out of his cell for the first time in years and then escorted off the island had resulted in unconsciousness setting in.

The events that had immediately followed his departure from Azkaban had passed in a blur. He vaguely recalled answering some questions that seemed to be of a medical nature. What was a lot clearer was the moment he finally woke up enough to become aware of his surroundings.

It was obvious that he wasn't in his old cell at Azkaban any more, though trading one jail for another didn't seem to be much of an improvement. Shortly after self-awareness had returned, he had been visited by more Aurors. This had been another surprise.

He was actually charged with murder. Apparently somebody had finally discovered the hole in the paperwork. Sirius would have expressed his total amazement had he not been demonstrating a rare example of thinking before he said anything.

He had leapt on the opportunity to testify under the effects of Veritaserum the instant it had been offered, which had startled the Aurors. Apparently they weren't used to such a...cooperative prisoner.

Now he just had to wait for his trial. He'd gladly own up to his past mistakes, just so long as somebody tracked down the rat and put the traitorous bastard six feet under. In the meantime, he had a visit from his barrister to look forward to.

* * *

><p>For the Norns, the rest of the day had gone by fairly quietly. The sisters had gone off to their rooms to individually pursue their favoured way of regaining energy quickly - Belldandy had gone to sleep, Urd had drunk the last of her sake (a quantity that would give even the most seasoned human drinker chronic alcohol poisoning) and Skuld had eaten enough ice-cream to keep Florean Fortescue employed for a year. Belldandy had tucked Harry into bed before she had retired to her own room, and he had spent the better part of the afternoon asleep.<p>

Eventually, Keiichi's return home roused the inhabitants.

"Are you alright?" Keiichi asked his fiancée with a concerned look on his face.

"I am fine, I was just a little tired out from the ritual we used to heal Harry earlier," Belldandy stated. It had been agreed by the Norns that the existence of Voldemort's soul shard would be kept on a Need to Know basis, and currently Keiichi didn't Need to Know. "I am more concerned about him. How are you feeling, Harry?"

Harry rubbed his scar gingerly. "It aches a little, but I've had worse. It is already getting better, I can tell."

Belldandy looked relieved. "That is good to hear. Keiichi dear, it is a little late to try and start cooking right now - can you please organise for some food to be delivered?"

Keiichi blinked. He had no idea what restaurants around here would deliver. "Ah, sure, is pizza OK?"

The sisters nodded, while Harry looked intrigued. He'd never been allowed to try pizza before. The smell of it when the Dursleys ate it (while he was locked in his cupboard, usually) had always been so tempting though...

As Keiichi went in search of the Yellow Pages, Urd turned to Skuld. "Little sis, you'll need to get your training gear soon. Have you sent away for it?"

Skuld knew that Urd was talking about the training simulation suite. "Not yet, I'll do it tonight. Just one question - where do I install it? We don't have the space inside this house."

Belldandy spoke up. "There is an old shed in the garden that we don't need. I was going to ask Keiichi to remove it to make room for more plants or maybe a greenhouse, but maybe you should rebuild it into something you can use for your training equipment."

Skuld looked enthusiastic. "That shed is quite large, I should be able to incorporate a lab for myself as well..."

"Whatever, squirt, it is your project. Just get it done soon, OK?" Urd stated. "Tomorrow we'll have to discuss the outcome of today's ritual. Speaking of which, Harry?"

Harry looked at Urd. "Yes?"

"Make sure you don't tell anybody about what happened with your scar and what was in it. Absolutely no one, not even Keiichi. It is very important that this remain secret. OK?"

Harry nodded. "OK." What was another secret on top of knowing about magic?

At that point Keiichi re-entered the room. "The pizza is on its way, they said it should take 30 minutes. Shall we prepare?"

Later that evening, Urd had retired to her room and was generally making preparations to sleep. She had just finished tying her hair back when she noticed a note that she had left for herself as a reminder. She gently slapped her forehead.

"I keep forgetting this." Calling up her terminal, she quickly filled out a materials request form. "Something else to talk to my sisters about tomorrow. This job just keeps adding layers..."

* * *

><p>Author's notes: Yes, I just went there. I'll see your Blood Wards, and raise you some Soul Wards. *insert evil laugh*<p>

The elapsed time from Sirius Black being charged to going to trial is very short, but that's because Amelia Bones is bypassing the usual bureaucratic process and railroading things to a fast conclusion.

Many thanks to all the good people at Caer Azkaban who helped me with Brit picks and general proof reading. Thanks to the rest of those that helped as well.


	7. Chapter 7: Trial and Error

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Harry Potter or Oh My Goddess

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note:<strong> this chapter has been reposted, because somebody pointed out that I had made a major blunder regarding the canonical events surrounding the confrontation between Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew that resulted in Black going to prison for twelve years. Thanks to Shinvitya for pointing out my gaffe.

* * *

><p>For the household of the newly formed Odinsdotter-Morisato-Potter family in Hinckley, the day began fairly normally. Though considering that said family was by that stage experiencing its fifth morning since the arrival of its latest member, normality was something that was still being explored.<p>

_It is amazing just how much we have achieved since we picked up Harry on Friday. _Urd thought to herself as she walked to the dining room. _Then again, when you have three goddesses working with the full support of the Ultimate Force, it isn't that surprising. Empires have been toppled with less than that._

There was still a lot left to do. Mundane items on the "to do" list included such trivialities like getting an architect in to remodel the old church into something more useful than a big over-decorated hall. Sitting next to minor details like that were things like Urd starting down the road towards establishing her own potions shop in the magical world. And, of course, the next big ticket item in the overall plan to keep Harry safe from any people who might seek to exploit and control him.

_Belldandy_ _needs to go to Diagon Alley today and visit Gringotts. We have to get control over the Potter accounts, and Belldandy is now Harry's official guardian. The goblins won't talk to anyone else. _Urd thought. _She's also the best person to send as she is the least likely to get annoyed with the little bastards and start handing out attitude adjustments._

Urd did not get on well with goblins. Skuld had no experience with the race, but Urd had no doubt that her youngest sister's patience would be exhausted within 5 minutes of stepping into Gringotts. Belldandy, on the other hand, was a master diplomat and had the patience and the skills of persuasion to get what they wanted without any trouble.

_It looks like Skuld will be looking after Harry again today. Though he could do with some recreation, the poor kid needs to learn what it is like to be a child. I know he never got the chance to do that with the Dursleys._

There was one other small detail to be completed today. The mysterious arrival of another package in her room overnight laid the framework for the next task.

_Though I must say I was surprised to see what they sent. I have a feeling that father had a hand in this._

* * *

><p>The Ministry of Magic is not usually a very efficient place.<p>

This is due to the usual maladies that all bureaucracies are vulnerable to. Of course, the fact that the society of magical Britain has not really cottoned on to the idea of audits just makes things worse.

Promotions are rarely made on the basis of merit, nepotism and cronyism being the principal drivers. The decision making process had two guiding influences depending on the seniority of the person making the decision - managers always had their own promotion path and job security at the forefront, while junior workers tended to follow the rulebook religiously in order to avoid becoming a scapegoat for the myriad of errors, mistakes and complete cock-ups that were the norm for the day to day operations of the Ministry.

As the root causes of those blunders (management) were rarely punished for making them, the system was never corrected and the whole process became mired in incompetence, cowardice and blatant corruption.

Of course, any inefficient system could be made to work. It just took a powerful person who had enough authority to threaten entire careers to start issuing orders. When that happened, lots of things could be achieved in a very short time period. Rich wizards like Lucius Malfoy did it all the time, using a carrot (bribery) and stick ("the Minister won't like this") approach. It was this tendency for the bureaucratic sheep to follow orders that had allowed Amelia Bones to go from knowing nothing about Sirius Black's case to holding a trial for him in a little less than 48 hours.

_I've only had to sack one useless incompetent so far. Everybody else has been remarkably cooperative since then, as well as hard working. _Amelia thought to herself with a wry smile. Fortunately she was only dealing with her own personal fiefdom, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. In the DMLE, her word was law, and when she said jump people touched the ceiling.

Well, she also had to deal with the Wizengamot. But as she was a member of that august body of the wisest wizards and witches of Britain (she could actually think that through without cracking a smile, such was her self-control) this did not present any great difficulties.

Now she was taking her usual seat in the main Wizengamot meeting hall. This was not the usual place for trials to occur, which was a deliberate misdirection on her part. Using a court-room would have been more convenient, but the main hall would keep the true nature of this emergency session obscure.

She even had the prisoner's chair from Courtroom 10 waiting to be brought in for the event. She had carefully stage-managed the entire process with Scrimgeour, and was confident that the appearance of Sirius Black would be a surprise to whoever had conspired to keep him silent.

Now to get things moving. Dumbledore had settled behind the Chief Warlock's desk, and the roll call had been complete. Today had seen a full turn-out of the Wizengamot; all 50 members were seated, as well as Minister Bagnold, Amelia herself and Dumbledore. Apart from the Court Scribe who would take the official record, nobody else would be allowed in.

_Until the trial starts, that is... _Amelia thought darkly. Dumbledore gave the traditional three blows of the Chief Warlock's "staff" (a purely symbolic item, as it was no more magical than the average rock) and started the usual ceremony that Wizengamot meetings required. Amelia tuned it out as she mentally reviewed her notes.

_Once we're in session, the game will begin. We'll just see how many people in here are left standing once we're finished._

* * *

><p>Breakfast was over, Keiichi had left for work (muttering about bike clubs) and the process of cleaning up after the meal had been concluded. Harry had retreated to the bathroom to complete his morning ablutions, giving the Norns a few minutes to discuss the day's plans in private.<p>

"There's a few things we need to talk about," Urd stated, "the first of which is that you're going to be looking after Harry this morning, Skuld."

"Why me?" Skuld asked curiously. She didn't mind, but she was going to be quite busy.

"I have more business at the Ministry today, and Belldandy has to visit Gringotts to get control of the Potter family accounts. We should be back by lunch time." Urd replied.

Skuld nodded. "OK, I was going to dismantle that old shed today and get started on building my new lab. Admin says that they won't deliver the simulation gear until I have some place adequate to store it, so I have to get the lab built ASAP."

Belldandy spoke up. "Do take some time to do something more relaxing, dear. Harry needs to learn how to have fun."

"I was going to suggest that myself," Urd put in, "try some board games and maybe some video games. Go easy on him, you've had a lot more practice at these things than he has."

"Can do!" Skuld chirped happily.

"We'll discuss the soul fragment after lunch. I've got some ideas about the wider implications that I want you two to think about, but it can wait. In the meantime, there's a crucial bit of work we need for our cover stories." Urd said.

"What is it, Urd dear?" Belldandy asked calmly.

Urd picked up a bag she had brought to the dinner table and showed its contents to her sisters. "Everybody in the magical world here uses a wand. We need wands to fit in, and it would look suspicious if three witches our age were purchasing their first wands here. So we'll have to make our own. I sent a requisition for instructions and appropriate construction materials - they arrived over night. Grab the package with your name on it - it contains wood for the wand plus the instructions."

Skuld looked puzzled. "Wands need a core, right? Did they send those as well?"

Urd looked around, and heard the tell-tale sound of water moving through pipes that indicated that Harry was still in the bathroom. "I've already gone through the instructions they sent. This is what they suggested for wand cores."

With that, Urd called forth her angel, World of Elegance. Urd turned to face her angel, who daintily held out two feathers - one from each wing. Urd gently caressed her angel's cheek for a moment, before she accepted the feathers. World of Elegance withdrew back into Urd as she turned to face her sisters again.

"The experts are all in agreement - the best match we can get for wand cores is to use feathers from our own angels. They suggest two feathers, one from each wing. They've sent rowan wood for the main body." Urd explained.

"Rowan? Is it from-" Skuld started to ask before she was cut off by Urd.

"No. I think this comes from some of the trees in father's private garden. Be careful with it, and keep all of the scraps left over. We'll send it back once we've finished - that stuff is too powerful, magically, to keep around here where some hack wand-maker might find it."

Belldandy and Skuld both nodded in agreement.

"OK, I think we all know what to do. Any questions?" Urd said.

"Just one. Why are you giving us orders?" Skuld asked.

"I'm giving orders because Belldandy has asked me to coordinate our insertion into the world of magical Britain while she concentrates on looking after Harry." Urd said bluntly. "You just don't have the practical field experience to be able to handle this type of work yet. You will one day, but right now this job is too important for us to take the time to teach you as we go. Sorry, kid, but that's the way the cookie crumbles this time around."

Skuld looked annoyed, but softened when Belldandy put a hand on her shoulder.

"Urd is correct, dear sister. She has the experience and knowledge to be able to handle all the details required to establish our identities here. I would do it, but Harry needs most of my attention right now. You need more training and experience before you can tackle a task of this complexity."

Skuld's expression was unreadable. "OK. More incentive to get that simulator gear set up, I suppose."

"That's the spirit!" Urd said in what was an encouraging tone for her. "Now let's get to it."

* * *

><p>The Chief Warlock had finished the traditional rites that were involved in opening a session of the Wizengamot. As this session had been called as an emergency session the process had been somewhat shorter than normal.<p>

_Wow, a mere 10 minutes of boredom rather than 20, _Amelia thought cynically, _Merlin help us if we ever have to call an emergency session when there's an actual emergency._

"We have been called here for an emergency session of the Wizengamot," Dumbledore said, "called by the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Madam Amelia Bones. Madam Bones, could you please inform the Wizengamot of the reason behind this emergency sitting?"

The Director stood up and addressed the room. "My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen, I have called this session in order to address a significant issue of concern that threatens the very bedrock of our legal system."

There was a stir amongst the assembled Wizengamot members, and Amelia took a moment to marshal her thoughts.

"On Monday of this week, a concerned citizen requested to view the trial records for one Sirius Black the Third, who has been in Azkaban prison since 1981 for the crime of murdering one Peter Pettigrew and twelve muggles. This sort of request is not common but is hardly unheard of, and as such we in the Department were inclined to let them view the records. Unfortunately, there was a major obstacle."

Amelia paused, leaning forwards and placed her hands on the lectern in front of her.

"There are no records for the trial of Sirius Black. They do not exist in the Wizengamot archives or the Department archives. I even checked the Principis Carta thoroughly. It does not contain any mention of Sirius Black appearing before this body at any point after the 31st of October 1981.

"I directed the Auror Office to find the record of Sirius Black being charged with the crimes he is infamous for. I was shocked to discover that no such record exists. There is only one conclusion that explains this discrepancy."

Madam Bones straightened up. "Sirius Black the Third has spent the past eight years in Azkaban prison without having been charged or tried. As much as we might despise him for his despicable acts, this represents the most flagrant violation of our judicial code in living memory."

The reaction from the Wizengamot was roughly what Amelia had expected - pieces of parchment were thrown in the air while people shouted and gesticulated. The Director of the DMLE turned to the Chief Warlock, who nodded and struck the ground with the Chief Warlock's staff. The magically amplified sound brought the session back to order.

"This is a serious matter that you have brought before us, Madam Bones. Can you please explain to this body why it merited an emergency session?" Dumbledore asked. Amelia could tell that the Chief Warlock had already figured out why the issue was so important.

"Certainly, Chief Warlock." She turned back to face the assemblage. "Allowing Sirius Black to be imprisoned without trial sets a dangerous precedent. It would leave open the opportunity for the abuse of power, for people to dispose of their opponents under the cloak of our justice system. There is not a wizard or witch here today who is safe from this sort of activity. We must ensure that it not happen again, and we must grant Sirius Black a trial today in order to uphold our code of justice."

There was visible fear on the faces of some of the assembled members. Amelia wondered if it was a fear of what Black might reveal on the stand or of being sent to Azkaban by a political rival.

"I have already directed the Auror Office to conduct a complete audit of all prisoners currently held at Azkaban with a view to proving that they are all there legally. Today, however, we must address the problem we have already identified. To that end," Amelia turned to Dumbledore again, "I call on the Chief Warlock to yield control of this session to myself in my position as Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

Dumbledore's reply came without hesitation. "Granted."

"Thank you, Chief Warlock." Amelia turned back to the main body. "I now call Sirius Black the Third to stand trial for the murder of Peter Pettigrew and twelve muggles on the third of November, 1981. Bring the accused before the court."

The main doors to the hall opened, and a pair of Aurors escorted a hunched over figure in. They were followed by another pair of Aurors who were carrying the prisoner's chair from Courtroom 10.

"Presiding over this trial will be myself, in my role as Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," Madam Bones stated, "appearing for the prosecution is Mr Albert Haddock from the legal firm Haddock, Haddock, Haddock and Haddock."

The named individual entered behind the Aurors. He was not a member of the Wizengamot, and had been chosen for his legal acumen. Repeated attempts to establish a Ministry Prosecutor's Office under the DMLE had been quashed for decades.

"Appearing for the defence is Mr Ernest Wise, who has been the legal counsel for the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black for over 20 years."

The named person came in last, and hurried over to the small table that had been set up for him. He did not look particularly happy, no doubt wondering just how representing somebody who had volunteered to take Veritaserum before even seeing a barrister would work out.

The prisoner's chair was placed in the centre of the room, and Sirius Black was chained into it. Clerks started to circulate through the chamber, handing out documents to the members. As this occurred, Minister Bagnold hurriedly motioned to Dumbledore and Bones. They both moved closer to the Minister.

"Is this really necessary? Black is a Death Eater and a murderer, must we really waste everybody's time proving it?" The Minister asked testily.

"Minister, one of the few rights our society sees fit to grant is that a person must be convicted in a court of law before they are punished," Dumbledore intoned severely before Amelia could jump in with some choice remarks, "failure to do so represents a grave injustice and sets a dangerous precedent. I do hope that you are not going to try and halt this trial from taking place, because if you did..."

"...we would be compelled to move a motion of no confidence in you." The Director of the DMLE finished. "We are servants of the law, Minister, and we must obey them."

The Minister glowered, but moved back to her chair. Amelia turned back to the main room, which had settled down again. She cleared her throat and picked up the gavel that was the symbol of her office as the judge.

She struck the table with her gavel once, and glanced around all assembled. "I hereby call this court to order. Today we have before us the case of _Regina versus Sirius Black III. _The accused is charged with the murder of a wizard and twelve muggles. How does the defendant plead?"

"Not guilty." It was Sirius Black's first contribution to the proceedings, and it caused a stir. Amelia struck the table with her gavel again.

"Silence in court. I am given to understand that the defendant has agreed to testify under the effects of Veritaserum. Is this correct?"

Mr Wise looked up hopefully. This was the only chance he had to get his client out of being questioned under the influence of the famous truth potion, as Sirius had not signed any agreement before entering the court. Sadly for him, his client's tongue was faster than his own.

"That is correct, Madam." Sirius replied with a confident smile.

"Very well. I call for an experienced Healer to administer the potion, and to verify that the potion is working."

Another Healer who was unfamiliar with the case moved forward and administered the required three drops of potion. After a few quick charms, the Healer turned to Madam Bones.

"May it please the court, I confirm that the subject is under the influence of Veritaserum. There is no indication whatsoever that he is resisting or that he is capable of resisting its effects."

Bones smiled slightly. _Now for the first move in the end-game. Time to implicate some Death Eaters. _"Let the record show that the defendant is now under the influence of Veritaserum, and is incapable of telling a lie. Would the prosecution like to question the defendant?"

"Yes, thank you, Madam." Albert Haddock stated, rising to his feet and doing his best to project an image of a powerful and competent lawyer. He moved to an area just to one side of Sirius Black.

"What is your name?"

"Sirius Black the Third."

"What is your address?"

* * *

><p>Belldandy entered the main foyer of Gringotts Bank with all the grace and self-assuredness that she would have had when entering her own kitchen. She was a Goddess first class, second category, unlimited license and was not in the least bit intimidated by the show of strength the goblins had on display.<p>

Of course, the idea of a confrontation requiring force had not even crossed her mind. Belldandy walked calmly through the bank's lobby completely certain that she would get what she needed just by asking. It helped that she had all the relevant paperwork to back her case.

She walked up to a bank teller who at that moment had no customer. The goblin did not look up as he growled out his customary greeting.

"Yes? What do you want, human?"

Belldandy just smiled, being careful to keep her teeth hidden. "I wish to have a private meeting with the goblin in charge of major accounts. My business today requires discretion."

"Name?" The goblin barked.

"Belldandy Odinsdotter."

"Wait here." The goblin marched off with a disgruntled look on his face. Belldandy waited patiently, taking the time to admire the architecture of the building. The teller returned shortly, accompanied by a better dressed goblin who looked even more disgruntled than the teller.

"What business do you have with Gringotts, human?" The new goblin asked testily.

"My business requires some discretion, and should not be discussed in the lobby. Can we perhaps retire to a private room?" Belldandy asked sweetly.

The new goblin growled under his breath for a moment, before he turned sharply. "Come." He said briefly, and strode off. Belldandy followed behind, matching his pace without ever looking hurried.

Eventually the goblin opened a door that could not be seen from the main lobby, and went inside. Belldandy followed, and saw that the area behind the door was arranged as a small conference room. The goblin sat down without ceremony, and turned a baleful glare on the Norn of the Present.

"I am Account Manager Gornuk, one of three goblins here at Gringotts responsible for major accounts. What business do you have with me, human?"

Belldandy seated herself with far more grace than that displayed by Gornuk. "I am Belldandy Odinsdotter, and as of Friday the 23rd of June of this year, I am the principal guardian of Harry James Potter in both the magical and non-magical worlds. I am here to request that you hand over all keys for vaults held for the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter." She produced several pieces of parchment and handed them over. "These are certified copies of the certificates that verify that I am the guardian for Harry James Potter."

Gornuk snatched up the paperwork with a snarl, and subjected it to vigorous scrutiny. Eventually he picked up a small bell and rang it, resulting in a goblin opening the door and sticking his head in.

"Bring me a clerk to verify the validity of these Ministry documents." Gornuk half shouted in gobbledegook. Belldandy knew the language fluently, but did not give any indication that she had understood the order.

The door slammed shut, and silence reigned for 10 minutes. Eventually, a new goblin arrived. Gornuk gestured to the paperwork without speaking, and the new goblin examined the documents carefully. Eventually he threw them on the table.

"They are all true, certified copies, sir. There is no fakery here."

Gornuk nodded and gestured irritably. The clerk withdrew from the room as rapidly as he had entered. Gornuk glared at Belldandy with a gimlet eye.

"It will take us time to retrieve the existing keys from the previous guardian. You can wait for them or we can create new keys for a small fee."

Belldandy's smile did not waver. "According to your own regulations, changes of key required due to a change of legal guardianship for an underage wizard or witch shall be made without a fee. Please provide me with all new keys before midday. There will be no charge for this."

Gornuk scoffed. "Show me the regulation, human. There will be a fee of 10 galleons per key changed."

Belldandy reached into her bag and withdrew a large book. She quickly flipped through to a bookmarked page, which she held out for Gornuk's perusal.

"Here is the regulation. This is a copy of your own regulations, in the original gobbledegook. There will be no charge, and you will have the keys ready by midday."

Gornuk stared at the book with a degree of disbelief. This human could read gobbledegook? He shifted his gaze back to Belldandy to try to extort some penalties, when he noticed her eyes.

Belldandy was smiling warmly and was exuding an air of gentleness, but deep in her eyes was something that hinted of a will harder than diamond. Gornuk assessed his options and decided that discretion was the better part of valour.

"Very well. I will have the keys ready by 11 o'clock. If you would care to wait here..."

"That will be acceptable." Belldandy said, reaching into her bag and withdrawing some knitting. "Have a profitable day, Account Manager Gornuk."

As he left the room, Gornuk made a mental note to write a report on this human and submit it to his superiors. She could be trouble in the future.

* * *

><p>Urd exited the Ministry of Magic with mixed feelings. On the one hand, she had all of the accreditation required to legally operate as a Potions Master in magical Britain. On the other hand, the process had taken so long and had been so inefficient that her mood had been thoroughly soured.<p>

_Not even Mother could come up with something that atrocious, _Urd thought to herself as she walked in the general direction of Diagon Alley.

Now that she had the requisite licence, she had the joyful task of finding an appropriate shop to work from. She wasn't looking forward to this at all, something told her that the magical world probably didn't have anything useful like a real estate agent.

A bit more than an hour later found Urd surprised, as she discovered that there was a magical real estate agency operating in Diagon Alley. The problem was trying to convince the agent that a foreigner was actually allowed to purchase land in Britain.

"No, I don't want a leasehold. I want to purchase the freehold of a shop in Diagon Alley and own it. I will need to make extensive renovations to bring it up to my standards, and I don't want to have to mess around with lease terms to do it." Urd explained for what felt like the 20th time that day.

"But Miss Odinsdotter, that is by far and away the most expensive option! I have a number of people with empty shops to lease who would be more than accepting of any changes you might want to make..." The agent said in what he thought was a persuasive tone.

"Not accepting enough. Show me something I can buy outright or I'm leaving." Urd said abruptly.

There was a small pause, before the agent reached into a drawer and pulled out a dusty piece of parchment.

"I do have one available, part of an estate sale. It hasn't been touched due to the price, and the executor of the estate is not permitted to lease the property. Would you like to look at it?"

"Sounds good," Urd said, "let's get to it."

The Norn of the Past hoped to be finished by lunch time, as she wanted to get her wand finished before dinner. She was already behind on her schedule, but she should be able to get everything done...provided nobody had a heart attack when she bought a prime piece of Diagon Alley real estate with cash.

* * *

><p>Albert Haddock knew his job. The first thing he had done was establish for the record that the person he was prosecuting was actually the right man and not a patsy using polyjuice. Such an event had happened in the past, so it paid to check.<p>

Now that it had been proven that the person chained to a chair in the middle of the Wizengamot's main chamber was actually Sirius Black III, he could get to the heart of the matter.

"Mr Black, did you kill Peter Pettigrew on the 3rd of November, 1981?" Veritaserum was lovely stuff, not only did it force somebody to tell the truth but the rules regarding its use also did away with those pesky "I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I might convict myself" regulations as well. He could convict Sirius Black by forcing a confession. He noticed Black's counsel looking defeated, and suppressed a smirk. _Sorry, Ernie, but you were always going to be working uphill on this one..._

"No, I did not." Black replied. Utter stillness gripped the Wizengamot. Haddock lost his composure briefly, but rallied. _Time to broaden the question and remove the damn date, he might have tricked his mind into thinking the date of the murder was different._

"Mr Black, did you kill Peter Pettigrew?"

"No, I did not."

Suddenly the chamber was filled with the sounds of murmured conversation. Evidently the Wizengamot had not expected this type of answer.

Haddock rallied again. "Mr Black, did you in any way cause Peter Pettigrew to die?"

"No, I did not."

Haddock was flabbergasted. This was not what he was after. Amelia Bones had made it very clear what the objective was - get Black convicted properly, then direct questioning to have him reveal any information that might be used to convict other Death Eaters. Black denying his own crimes under Veritaserum was not part of the plan. It was time for plan B, which was a problem because there was no plan B.

"Healer, can you please re-verify that Black is under the influence of Veritaserum." In the circumstances, Haddock had no option but to cast doubt on the effectiveness of the Veritaserum.

The Healer dutifully walked over and cast a series of charms. After a moment, he stepped back.

"May it please the court, I hereby re-verify that Sirius Black is fully under the influence of Veritaserum. I can only conclude that all of his answers to this point have been truthful."

With that report, Haddock's case disintegrated before his eyes. _I can't get him for Pettigrew, but there were twelve muggles there too._

"Mr Black, did you kill twelve muggles on the third of November, 1981?"

"No, I did not."

Haddock turned to Bones with a questioning look. "Your honour?"

Bones hesitated, before the sound of somebody clearing his throat beside her caused her to turn around. Dumbledore gave her a brief smile.

"May I ask the defendant a few questions, Madam Bones? I think I might be able to speed things up a bit."

Amelia Bones turned to the prosecutor. "Mr Haddock? Do you yield to the Chief Warlock?"

Haddock hesitated, before he nodded. "On the proviso that I may be allowed to resume my questioning later."

"So ruled." Amelia struck the table with her gavel. "Chief Warlock, you may question the prisoner."

Dumbledore turned to the defendant. "Mr Black, is Peter Pettigrew dead?"

"I think so." Needless to say, the answer was confusing. Dumbledore pressed on.

"You think so, Mr Black?"

"Yes."

"But you don't know for certain?"

"No. I thought I saw him kill himself, but I never saw his body."

"Did you confront Peter Pettigrew on the 3rd of November, 1981?"

"Yes, I did."

"Who killed the twelve muggles at that meeting?"

"Peter Pettigrew did."

"Why was Peter Pettigrew's finger found at the scene?"

"I don't know. I thought it was left behind after the explosion."

"Wouldn't there be more of his body left behind if he had been killed by the explosion?"

"I don't know."

"Mr Black," the Chief Warlock began, before he paused. His next question might lead into awkward territory, but he felt it necessary. "Why did you pursue and confront Peter Pettigrew?"

"He betrayed James and Lily Potter to You-Know-Who. He was a traitor."

There was an explosion of conversation with a few shouts thrown in for the measure. Amelia Bones hammered at the table with her gavel until order was restored.

Dumbledore turned to the Aurors who were notionally meant to be guarding the prisoner. "Could you please roll up the defendant's sleeves so that we may inspect his forearms?"

The Aurors moved forward and carried out the request. There was a distinct lack of any Dark Mark on either arm.

"Mr Black, are you now or have you ever been a Death Eater?" Albus asked.

"No, I have never been a Death Eater."

"Did you ever swear allegiance to Voldemort?" Dumbledore pressed, causing a chorus of gasps from the assembled.

"No, I never did."

"Did you ever obey any orders given to you by Voldemort or his followers?"

"No, I did not."

Dumbledore leaned back and turned to Amelia Bones. "I think that is pretty conclusive. What do you think?"

Amelia frowned. "We need to find out exactly what happened here. Mr Haddock," she called out. The prosecutor looked up.

Amelia continued, "Re-direct your questioning to find the truth of what happened on the 3rd of November, 1981 when Sirius Black confronted Peter Pettigrew. I believe we have all been labouring under a number of misconceptions."

Haddock nodded. This might take a while.

* * *

><p>"OK, do you understand the rules now?" Skuld asked intently.<p>

Harry paused. It seemed simple enough on the face of it, but he'd thought that about Monopoly as well. "I think so."

"Good!" Skuld said happily. "Let's play Mouse Trap!"

Harry looked at the multi-coloured pieces of plastic that seemed to be a big part of the game. It looked like the type of game Skuld would enjoy.

* * *

><p>Urd walked out of her new shop with a satisfied air. After hours of dealing with the paperwork, she now owned her own shop. Well, the building at least, she would have to completely remodel the interior before she could use it properly. That would require a wand for the sake of fitting in.<p>

She was only slightly surprised when Belldandy's voice appeared from across the road. "Ah, hello Urd. Have you finished with your business today?"

Urd turned to face her sister and nodded, walking over to join the Norn of the Present. "Yep. We just finished finalising the transaction. The shop is now mine." _Though I'm not going to tell you how much I paid for it._

"Good! When will you open for business?" Belldandy asked curiously.

"Probably Monday next week. There's still some stuff to sort out before I can begin trading." Urd said thoughtfully.

"Wonderful! I myself have finished at Gringotts, I have everything we required from there. Shall we return home for lunch?"

Urd checked her mental clock and decided that it was probably about time to head back to Hinckley. "Sure. This afternoon we can take it in turns to watch our young cousin while we each finish that job I mentioned this morning. We can also figure out which architect we want to engage for the renovations. Is that OK with you?"

Belldandy nodded. "Certainly, Urd dear. Let us be away."

* * *

><p>The Wizengamot had just recessed for lunch, but for some members it just meant more work.<p>

Amelia Bones was busy giving orders. "Get descriptions of Peter Pettigrew to every Auror, and start working on posters and a press release. We'll almost certainly acquit Black this afternoon, the main sticking point now will be the compensation he is owed. Ernest Wise is like a pit-bull when it comes to that kind of thing, so I expect it will be tedious. Scrimgeour, can you handle getting a man-hunt for Pettigrew started?"

Rufus Scrimgeour nodded, but felt the need to clarify some things first. "Black said he thought Pettigrew was dead, do we really want to launch a man-hunt now?"

Amelia scowled. "I find it hard to believe that an explosion powerful enough to leave no remains other than a single finger would have only killed twelve other people and left Black relatively unharmed. Assume that Pettigrew is alive until we have firm evidence to suggest otherwise."

Scrimgeour nodded again. He was a very happy man at that moment, and the prospect of working through lunch didn't bother him. "I'll also instruct all Aurors to brush up on their animagus detection charms."

"Do it. In the mean time, somebody feed Black and get the residual Veritaserum flushed out of his system. He'll need to give more evidence this afternoon, and we'll want him freshly dosed for it. Shacklebolt, wasn't it? See to it."

"Yes ma'am." The nervous Auror said. He was one of the more junior members of Scrimgeour's hastily constructed squad, and was not used to working with staff this senior.

"Right, I need to get back in there and make sure the Wizengamot is happy. Don't disappoint me, any of you." With that, Madam Bones marched back into the Wizengamot chamber.

Scrimgeour smiled broadly as he went to start a search for one Peter Pettigrew, recently revealed to be a secret Death Eater, the betrayer of James and Lily Potter, and an unregistered animagus. Rufus' immediate superior just happened to be the Chief Auror, and that unfortunate soul had been a leading member of the team that had arrested Sirius Black in 1981.

_By this time next month, that office will be mine. Complete with the hidden private bar. _

* * *

><p>At Hinckley, Harry was busy telling Belldandy about his morning. Urd had noticed that the old shed had been dismantled neatly and efficiently, a happy fact that she attributed to Banpei more than Skuld. Lunch was almost over, and Urd caught Skuld's eye. When Skuld raised an eyebrow questioningly, Urd moved her head gently towards the old church. Skuld nodded in understanding, as Urd turned to Belldandy.<p>

"Bell, Skuld and I need to deal with something in the church. Can I impose on you and Harry to take care of cleaning up?"

Belldandy nodded. "OK, Urd. Will you be long?"

Urd shrugged. "Not sure, we'll know once we get there."

Once at the church, Skuld turned to Urd. "OK, what is it that we're keeping secret from Harry this time?"

"Wand making, beginner's course." Urd said simply. "Have you got the materials I gave you this morning?"

"Er, no. I left them in my room. Should I go get them?" Skuld said with a small blush.

"Yes, and hurry. The instructions give us a fast magical process that will make our wands for us without the need for pesky wood-working, so we should be able to get this out of the way quickly. I'll be waiting here."

A few minutes later, Skuld returned with the bag she had received that morning. Urd already had her piece of rowan wood out and on the floor, with her two angel feathers sitting on either side.

"Right, now watch this closely. You're still a beginner with magic, but this spell is crafted to work with your intrinsic power to shape the wand into a perfect match for you. Just pay attention to what I do, then I'll walk you through it before you try it for real. OK?"

Skuld nodded. "OK."

"Fine. Here we go..."

* * *

><p>Belldandy and Harry had finished cleaning up after lunch, and had retired to the living room which had a TV arrangement in one corner.<p>

"You said that you and Skuld played a few board games this morning?" Belldandy asked.

"Yes, it was cool." Harry replied.

"OK, let's try something a little different." With that, Belldandy turned on the TV before she reached for black box that was attached to the TV with some cables.

"This is a Sega Master System. We can play video games on it. Would you like to try?"

"Sure!" Harry said. Dudley had been given an Atari a year or two before, but Harry had never been allowed to touch it.

"This game is single player only," Belldandy explained, "so we'll take it in turns. I'll go first to show you how to play, then you can have a turn. OK?"

"OK." Harry agreed. He watched as the screen lit up with a title screen that had a car at the bottom of the screen. He glanced at the cartridge in the machine, which seemed to have "Out run" on it.

* * *

><p>Urd finished her incantation, and opened her eyes to see her wand waiting for her. The wood had taken on a reddish tinge, while the wand itself looked like it contained some hidden power.<p>

"Right, now to test it..." Urd muttered. She picked up the wand, and felt a small jolt as her innate magic formed a link with the angel feathers in the core. She gave an experimental wave, and was pleased to see sparks.

"This is a basic spell a lot of wizards and witches know around here, Skuld. Lumos!"

The tip of the wand lit up brilliantly. Urd quickly ended the spell with a "Nox" and set the wand down. She carefully gathered up the waste wood and placed it back in the bag it had come from.

"Ready to do it, Skuld?"

Skuld hesitated for a moment, before she nodded and began her own preparations. "No time like the present, I suppose."

"That's the spirit!"

* * *

><p>Harry was finding that for all that she was a very warm, friendly and encouraging person, Belldandy was fiercely competitive when it came to this video game. She tackled every course as if the outcome was vitally important, and played with a look of absolute concentration. It was a marked difference from when Harry had a turn, as Belldandy was encouragement incarnate then.<p>

"Well done, Harry! That was a good three seconds faster that time!" Belldandy said as Harry finished the latest stage.

_It beats me why Dudley always got angry at his games, this is fun! _Harry thought to himself.

* * *

><p>Skuld finished her spell, and wiped the sweat off her brow. Her first attempt had been aborted early by Urd, who had spotted a major mistake that Skuld had made just a few seconds in. Fortunately no damage had been done, so she could start again almost immediately.<p>

Now it was all over, and she had a complete wand in front of her. This time the wood had a slight tinge of blue to it. She glanced at her sister.

"Try it out, Skuld. If it didn't work we can always get more wood, and Noble Scarlet has more feathers if needed." Urd said in what was an encouraging tone of voice for her.

Skuld almost reluctantly picked up the wand, and felt a small rush as her magic connected to it. She waved it experimentally, and was rewarded with a small shower of sparks.

"Good! No need to cast any spells yet, those sparks are all the proof we need. Go and take over from Belldandy so she can come here and make her own wand."

"Are you going to stay?" Skuld asked.

"Yes. It is better to have an observer for this kind of thing, to help catch mistakes early. As you found out. Even Belldandy and I prefer to have somebody around to keep an eye on things."

Skuld paused. "What about me? Watching you?"

Urd sighed. "Yeah, you aren't quite qualified for that kind of supervisory role. Needs must, though - you needed to watch me do it to learn, and Belldandy needed to keep Harry occupied. It was a small risk that was hard to avoid."

Skuld swallowed down the small wave of irritation she felt. Right then she wasn't sure if it was at Urd or herself. She looked down at the wand in her hand, and wondered what she would do with it.

Urd caught the glance. "We'll make our own wand holsters for them. A favourite is one that secures it to the forearm with a quick release, allowing for fast access. You should be able to make something that will do the job in your sleep, so think it over."

Skuld nodded and walked off to find Belldandy. Plans for holsters were already circulating in her head.

* * *

><p>Amelia Bones was very grateful that she had taken a mild anti-headache potion at lunch, as she was sure that without it she would have a major migraine by now. <em>This whole damn mess lurches from one disaster to another.<em>

"In light of all of the testimony and evidence presented to this court, I hereby move to dismiss all charges against the defendant. All in favour?"

There was a unanimous raising of arms. The court scribe dutifully recorded the result.

"All against?" There was no response this time.

"Has the honoured body decided upon the recompense owed to Sirius Black for his unjust treatment?"

A spokesman stood up. A small committee had been formed just after lunch to sort out the compensation that would be paid to Black for the 8 years that he had been unjustly imprisoned.

"We have, your honour. We recommend that a sum of 500,000 galleons be paid to Sirius Black in compensation."

Amelia suppressed a wince. She had a good idea which budget that money would come from. "All in favour?"

The vote was unanimous again. "All opposed?" Again, there was nobody willing to be identified as being an opponent to this.

"Very well. Sirius Black the Third shall be paid a sum of 500,000 galleons in compensation for his unjust imprisonment. His status as an unregistered animagus has been noted, however in light of his previous treatment he will be let off with no punishment listed on his record."

Madam Bones looked around the chamber and saw that nobody seemed inclined to argue the point.

"All matters now addressed, I hereby declare this court to be adjourned." She struck the table with her gavel, and turned to Dumbledore. "Chief Warlock, I cede control of this session to you."

"Noted." Albus said. He had a lot to think about, especially how Sirius might play a part in his plans to gain control of Harry. "Is there any further business to be discussed?"

Peneus Greengrass stood up, much to Dumbledore's surprise. "Chief Warlock, in light of the testimony we have heard today, I move that this body strip Peter Pettigrew of his Order of Merlin."

There was a brief pause, before the Chief Warlock gathered his wits. "We have a motion before us. Does the motion have a second?"

"I second the motion," Elphias Doge stated.

"Motion has been seconded, all in favour?"

There was another unanimous vote.

"All opposed?"

Nobody moved.

"The motion having been passed with no opposition, I hereby declare that Peter Pettigrew is hereby stripped of his Order of Merlin. Is there any other business?"

There was a pause. Nobody seemed inclined to keep this session going on any longer.

"Then I call this emergency session of the Wizengamot to be closed." With that, the Chief Warlock gave the traditional three blows of the Chief Warlock's staff.

* * *

><p>That evening, Keiichi got back home in high spirits.<p>

"I found a local motorcycle club that has a good junior riders program. Somebody at work has his son there, and recommended it. It is at the Mallory Park Motocross Track, which is not far from here."

"That's wonderful, dear," Belldandy said, "once Harry is confident on his bicycle we can get him started at that club."

"In the mean time, we can work on building him a suitable minibike." Keiichi enthused. He loved construction jobs like that.

Harry just blinked. He had received his first ever bicycle just the other day, and now they were talking about motorbikes already?

* * *

><p>Keiichi was engaged in a life or death game of Mouse Trap with Harry while Urd dragged her sisters back to the church for a private discussion.<p>

Urd stated the discussion. "We need to talk about that soul fragment. And what it implies."

"Yeah. How did a fragment of Voldemort's soul end up in Harry's scar?" Skuld asked.

Belldandy looked worried. "I think I know what is involved. Eir's notes suggest that Voldemort's soul was already badly damaged at the time that curse rebounded and struck him."

Urd nodded. "Yeah. Which gives us only one likely answer."

Skuld looked puzzled. "What's that?"

Urd looked uncharacteristically grim. "Horcruxes. A ghastly process which involves murdering somebody in cold blood to enable you to split your soul, storing a piece in an inanimate object. The idea was that it would prevent your soul from moving on if your body died."

Skuld was horrified. She looked over and saw that Belldandy appeared to be ill. "Splitting your own soul? What kind of monster does that?"

Urd shook her head gently. "Apparently, the type that would attempt to kill an 18 month child because of some undefined threat. The type who would relish in torture and murder."

Belldandy appeared to have brought her nausea under control. "It is the only thing we can think of that would have left Voldemort's soul in a position where it might fragment when he was struck with his own curse. The problem is that for his soul to be that...fragile...he must have made several horcruxes already."

"And that's the problem." Urd said firmly. "Harry won't be able to finish off Voldemort - and fulfil the prophecy - until all those soul fragments are gone. We don't know how many he made, what the horcruxes are or where they are stored."

There was a brief moment of silence, which was broken by Belldandy. "We do have one option. We can use the law of similarity to try and divine the location of Voldemort's soul fragments."

"Law of similarity?" Skuld asked.

"It is a basic law of magic," Urd explained, "it is the driving principle behind things like old curses that required you to obtain a sample of somebody's hair. By having a part of something, you could cast a spell that would work on all of that thing. In this case, we could divine the locations of all the parts of a soul by using the fragment we have."

"Unfortunately, it won't be very accurate," Belldandy said, "and I would need to perform the ritual several times, as the information would be temporary."

Skuld looked thoughtful. "Hold on, this is a form of divination, right?"

"That's right. Why?" Urd asked.

"Instead of Belldandy performing multiple divination rituals, why don't I adapt some of my prophecy code to do it for us? It should be a lot simpler overall, which would make it fast and easy to implement."

Urd and Belldandy glanced at each other. "That's a brilliant idea, Skuld! Well done!" Belldandy said enthusiastically.

Skuld glowed, but Urd was quick to pour cold water on the proceedings. "There are problems with that idea, kid. Your new code would be simpler, but divination is always code intensive. Running it on a remote terminal wouldn't work properly."

Skuld considered this. "You're right. What if I built a stand-alone local Yggdrasil computational unit that would run the code here? We wouldn't need Yggdrasil then, as the hardware would be right here."

"Could work," Urd allowed, "but what about the power requirements? Your tin can blew every fuse in the temple the first time you fired it up, remember? A local Yggdrasil unit would use a lot more power than that."

Skuld blushed heavily as she remembered Banpei's difficult birth, back before she had made his system efficient enough to run off a fuel cell of her own design.

"I was going to install a local generator anyway to run my simulation gear. I'll just make it big enough to handle both. And hey, if I'm making it that big I might as well run the house off it as well. We could save on our power bills."

Urd and Belldandy exchanged glances again. "Fine, go for it. Just run your code past Belldandy before you hook that soul fragment up to it, OK?"

Skuld nodded enthusiastically. "You can count on me!"

_That's what worries me. _Urd thought to herself.

* * *

><p>Amelia Bones was having a late meeting with the Minister and Dumbledore. She glared at them both.<p>

"OK, just who the hell fucked this one up? You were both running this place back when Black was incarcerated, what the hell were you thinking?"

Dumbledore jumped in ahead of the Minister. "Truthfully, Madam Bones, I had no idea that Peter Pettigrew was the traitor. The Potters and their friends kept the details of their plan to remain hidden a closely guarded secret for fear of spies. I believed, like so many others, that Sirius was the traitor."

"That doesn't explain why he never got a trial." Amelia ground out.

"In the rush of events at the time, it never occurred to me to check up on it," Dumbledore admitted, "I assumed that the Aurors were doing their jobs properly. I was mostly working on individual tasks as they came to hand, I did not have the time to look at the bigger picture until well after Black was in Azkaban."

"How about you, Minister?" Madam Bones snapped, fixing Bagnold with a glare.

"I was like Dumbledore in that regard, overworked. I thought that Crouch was handling everything." Bagnold explained.

"Fine. I'll question Crouch about this tomorrow. In the mean time, you'll need to inform the Prime Minister about this mess, as we'll need muggle help to find Pettigrew."

"Is that really necessary? We don't actually know that Pettigrew is alive." Minister Bagnold asked plaintively.

"Yes," was the curt answer, "I find it hard to believe that an explosion powerful enough to leave nothing but a single finger behind would have left Sirius Black without so much as a scratch on him. We have to assume that the traitor is alive, and cut off his own finger to frame Black. Pettigrew could easily hide amongst the muggle population, so we need the muggle authorities to be on the look-out as well."

Bagnold winced. The Prime Minister would not be happy when the Minister of Magic dumped an 8 year old murder case on the muggles, with no excuse other than "we got the wrong guy and never tried him until this week".

_I do hope the Prime Minister is in a good mood when I bring this to her attention, _Bagnold thought to herself.

* * *

><p>Urd was writing notes to herself before she went to bed. Most of the initial part of the plan had been achieved already, there was just a few more issues to go. Belldandy's wand had come out perfectly (not that Urd had expected anything else), with a definite trace of white colour in the wood.<p>

Later on, Urd and Belldandy had performed a quick divination on a copy of Thomson Local. A quick pass with Belldandy's necklace had identified the likely best candidate for a good architect. Belldandy would pay them a visit the next day.

Belldandy had taken the opportunity to inform Urd of a new house rule.

"Urd, I know you use alcohol as your alternative energy source," Belldandy said seriously, "but I must insist that you only drink in your room. I do not want to see you drinking in front of Harry. Nor do I want Harry to see you when you are drunk. Understood?"

Urd had quickly agreed, realising that Belldandy was being deathly serious about the issue.

_It makes sense anyway. In Japan everybody in the temple was over the drinking age apart from Skuld, who didn't count, so I could get away with it. Now I need to be aware of an impressionable young mind._

A more pressing need was sorting out Harry's future education. Urd figured that she and Belldandy had most of the magical and non-magical stuff in hand, but self-defence would be an issue.

_Bell and I both tend to go airborne and use our native elemental powers for combat. She isn't happy fighting even when she knows it is necessary, and my style just won't suit Harry. The same is true for the Valkyries, all of them prefer hand-to-hand and airborne attacks. We need somebody else to teach Harry, but who?_

Urd continued to mull over the issue while she prepared for bed. She had just ensconced herself in her King sized bed and was about to turn off the lights when a name entered her mind.

_Oh. He'd be perfect. Well, his style is perfect. I just need to persuade him to help. And then I need to persuade my sisters to let him help._

_Once he arrives...well, the only thing we might lose is our sanity._

* * *

><p><strong>More author's notes:<strong> Many thanks to everybody at Caer Azkaban who have helped me with Britpicks and general proof-reading.

Points to anybody who knows who Sirius' barrister is. Bonus points for whoever correctly figures out who the prosecutor was.

Oh, and the wands of the Norns. Classically, Yggdrasil was the tree on which all nine worlds rested. It was an ash tree, also known as rowan. So the Norns now have rowan wood wands (not made out of Yggdrasil wood, mind) with cores made from feathers from their own angels. Ollivander can eat his heart out.


	8. Chapter 8: First Lessons

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Harry Potter or Oh My Goddess.

* * *

><p>Thursday morning's edition of <em>The Daily Prophet <em>was full of the extraordinary events that had taken place in the Wizengamot the previous day. The front page had obviously been a struggle for the editor, with so many juicy headlines available, but he had obviously been able to resist temptation and ran with a single story on the front page.

**SIRIUS BLACK INNOCENT!**

**INFAMOUS "DEATH EATER" NEVER GIVEN TRIAL!**

**EMERGENCY MEETING OF WIZENGAMOT EXONERATES AFTER YEARS IN AZKABAN!**

The actual details of the trial didn't start until page 2. Here the emergency meeting rules had worked against the journalists at the _Prophet, _as no reporters had been allowed in. Consequently, the rest of the paper was filled with stories derived from the official press releases and the few interviews with Wizengamot members that Rita Skeeter had managed to get overnight.

That some of her information had been obtained in a less than legal fashion was overlooked by the editor of the paper. He'd worry about it if the Aurors ever came knocking, and he already had a dozen headlines waiting for such an event.

The special edition of magical Britain's most popular newspaper hit the community like an overpowered reducto, and was the cause of a considerable amount of heated discussion up and down the British Isles. Somehow in the clamour over Black's innocence, the manhunt for one Peter Pettigrew was overlooked, garnering just two column inches on page 15.

At a certain house in Ottery St. Catchpole, a pet rat noticed the headline as he was being fed breakfast scraps. Said rat nearly had a panic attack there and then, before it calmed down enough to start planning.

The rat had not survived as long as it had without the ability to make plans quickly. That little talent was something he owed to his former colleagues. Such a shame that they'd never benefited from his extra education.

* * *

><p>In Hinckley, Urd was engaged in an awkward phone call. She was making the call in the privacy of her own room while the rest of the household was involved in clearing up after breakfast. She wanted privacy for this.<p>

"Look, this is not me asking for a personal favour. This is an official request." Urd said tiredly. Her conversational partner said something that drew an annoyed frown.

"I don't care if you're booked solid for the next few decades. I checked the official roster and you're not assigned to any Yggdrasil approved tasks, which means that you're available now."

The voice on the other end of the call made a dismissive sounding retort.

"What Loki says or wants is irrelevant. This is an official job we're talking about, it takes priority."

More dismissive comments came back.

"Look, if you want to play hardball I'll send the request via the Almighty. He'll get you assigned faster than you can blink. And if that isn't enough, I can invoke the Ultimate Force. You want that to be running your diary for the next few years? Or do you just acknowledge the official request I've sent through regular channels and make it less painful for yourself?"

This time the response sounded grudging. Urd smiled slightly.

"Excellent. Oh, and be aware that you are required to be on your best behaviour. If you start to mess around, I'll have to sic Belldandy onto you."

The response sounded mischievous. Urd's expression hardened.

"If Belldandy isn't enough to restrain you, I'll just have to call in your old friend. I'm sure that he'll be able to keep you on task."

A comment that sounded defeated floated back.

"Good. I'll see you this afternoon then, we need to at least introduce you even if training doesn't start in earnest for a week or so."

After a listening to a final, somewhat sarcastic farewell, Urd hung up the phone wearily.

_He really is the best choice. And if I repeat that enough times I might even persuade myself of that statement._

* * *

><p>Sirius Black was having a fairly confusing morning. The previous evening he had gone directly from the Wizengamot chamber to an Auror office for further questioning. After that he had been given some decent food, which had served to make him practically fall asleep on his feet.<p>

Now he was in a room that looked suspiciously like a private suite at St Mungo's. Apparently the act of regaining consciousness had triggered some sort of monitoring charm, because he was joined by a Healer.

"Ah, good to see you awake. I am Healer Cutteridge, and I am in charge of getting you over your recent incarceration at Azkaban. The Wizengamot has directed that you are to be given a full rehabilitation program at the Ministry's expense to ensure that you are fully fit and ready to rejoin society."

Sirius thought about this, and wondered if it wasn't just another way of keeping him locked up. "How long will this take?"

Cutteridge smiled slightly. "That really depends on the patient, but in your case...the fact that you used your animagus form to give yourself a natural buffer against the worst effects of the Dementors means that you're in far better shape than most prisoners would be in after your experiences. On the other hand, being in your animagus form for extended periods of time in prison conditions is fairly unhealthy in itself. I expect you to be out of here inside of six months, hopefully sooner."

Sirius sagged slightly. "Six months."

"Hopefully less. A lot of it will depend on how cooperative you are." Cutteridge glared at Sirius with a gimlet eye. "The more you work with us, the faster this will go. Understood?"

Sirius nodded. "Am I allowed visitors? Heck, am I allowed to owl anybody?"

Cutteridge relaxed slightly. "Yes to both questions, though we'll wait a week first. After that, we encourage visitors as it will help your recovery."

Sirius nodded again. "OK, so what do we do first?"

"First? First you have breakfast. And as the Ministry is paying for this, you actually get food that is good enough to eat as well as being nutritious and healthy."

Sirius' face developed a broad smile.

* * *

><p>Urd had once again taken advantage of Harry's presence in the bathroom to have a quick, private discussion with her sisters.<p>

"OK, this is important. I've sorted out Harry's instructor in self-defence." She began.

"Self-defence?" Skuld asked innocently.

"Yes," Urd said seriously, "poor Harry is going to need to know how to defend himself in the future. We can't be there all the time, plus he needs to know how to stand on his own feet. If we start now, he should be in a good position to take care of himself by the time he goes to Hogwarts."

"Oh, OK." Skuld said as understanding dawned. "But why don't we teach him?"

Urd had an answer to that one ready to go. "Our fighting styles don't suit him at all. We have natural elemental affinities that we tend to rely on, but Harry doesn't. We also tend to go airborne at the first sign of trouble to give ourselves extra mobility. Harry can't fly. Well, not yet at least."

"Urd is correct," Belldandy put in, "and the same can be said of most of the Valkyries as well. So, who have you asked to teach Harry?"

Urd struggled hard to keep a grimace off her face. "The only person I could think of who fitted. We needed somebody with good martial arts abilities as well as an innate knowledge of magical combat. Plus they needed to be ground based, at least most of the time. Finally they couldn't rely on elemental attacks. All things considered, the best option I had was-"

"-me." A new voice interrupted. The Norns turned to look at their visitor.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" Skuld said.

"Urd, are you really sure this is the best person to teach Harry?" Belldandy asked with the slightest trace of acid.

Urd pinched the bridge of her nose. "You weren't supposed to get here until this afternoon. You're way too early."

"Yes, well, I was bored anyway. Besides, it was afternoon where I was when you called." The guest said with a smirk. "So where is my student?"

Belldandy looked up. "He's on his way down now."

Sure enough, Harry entered the room not long after Belldandy had finished speaking. He saw the extra person and halted. "Um..."

Belldandy took pity. "Harry, we have arranged for you to have lessons in self-defence. We aren't very suited to teach you this, so we have organised for a tutor to train you. I would like you to meet your new personal teacher for self-defence, Mr-"

"I'll handle the introduction from here," the apparent self-defence teacher said. "My name is Sun Wukong. And I must say that I am very happy to meet you, Harry Potter."

Harry blinked. "Er, thank you. It is nice to meet you, Mr Wukong."

Sun Wukong looked amused. "Please, no need for formality. You can call me Monkey."

Harry walked over and tentatively offered his hand. Sun Wukong gently took it with a small bow. The Norns looked more than just a little apprehensive.

_He's the best instructor for Harry. He's the best instructor for Harry. He's the best instructor for Harry. He's the best instructor for Harry. He's the best instructor for Harry. _Urd repeated to herself in a mantra.

* * *

><p>In a cheap bedsit located in one of the seedier areas of Glasgow, a rather dishevelled man in cheap, worn clothes was working hard to get his brain to start working again. In front of him was the reason behind his current mental difficulties; a copy of the latest edition of the <em>Daily Prophet. <em>The headline screaming about the innocence of the man once considered to have been You-Know-Who's most loyal lieutenant was clearly visible to anybody who cared to look. The sole occupant of the room couldn't tear his eyes away from the headlines, which contributed to his slow reboot time.

There was just one thought that kept repeating itself in his mind. _He's innocent. What do I do now?_

* * *

><p>Amelia Bones was feeling just a little gleeful. She had one of the Ministry's most famous and intimidating personalities sitting in front of her desk looking like he was ready to relieve his bowels without the benefit of removing his trousers first. Considering how this person had once ruled the DMLE with an iron fist, it was...nice...to see him feeling more than just a little apprehensive.<p>

The cause of said apprehension was the 5 minute dressing down that Amelia had just finished with. She had managed to summarise the complete and utter disaster that was the arrest and imprisonment of Sirius Black, concluding with the way both Bagnold and Dumbledore had managed to handball all responsibility to the head of the DMLE at the time of Sirius' incarceration.

That person was one Bartemius Crouch Senior, notorious as the Head of the DMLE who had advocated fighting fire with fire. It was his directorship that had seen Aurors authorised to use the three Unforgiveables when fighting Death Eaters, and he had personally been the judge for many of the Death Eater trials. Including the now infamous trial that had seen Crouch send his own son to Azkaban for a life sentence.

Now it had been revealed that Sirius Black had not had the same courtesy before being sent to what was arguably one of the worst prisons in the world. Now that the cat had been let out of the bag, Crouch Snr was left to try and explain exactly why the course of justice had been derailed.

"I didn't think it was necessary. He admitted his own guilt when he was arrested at the scene!" Crouch said nervously.

"Which would have been a wonderful piece of evidence to have been presented **at his trial.**" Amelia replied with a frosty smile. "The apparent guilt of the accused cannot be a reason for immediate incarceration, else we would never have put the Lestranges in front of the Wizengamot."

Crouch winced. That particular trial had included his own son in the defence stand.

"Crouch, I'm going to put this simply. Sirius Black went to prison without a trial while you were the Director here. The emergency laws that we had at the time did allow for high risk prisoners to be sent there without trial or charge for short periods, but even that legislation required that all prisoners eventually be charged and tried or released. Not to mention that those emergency laws also required that records of extraordinary incarcerations had to be kept. Frankly, you stuffed it up completely."

Crouch remained silent. He knew that his goose was cooked, nothing he could say would improve the situation.

Amelia sighed. "The Chief Auror has already tendered his resignation over this, due to his role in Black's original arrest. I think Rufus is already measuring for curtains. As for you..." She held up a piece of parchment. Crouch suppressed his natural urge to flinch.

"You have a choice. If we maintain the status quo, the Wizengamot will come after your head. They want a sacrificial lamb and you are the best candidate for that. Alternatively, you can pre-empt everybody and fall on your sword."

"How?" Crouch asked.

"You are currently the head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. You can't stay there after this fiasco. Bagnold has unofficially told me that you can have a new job as the head of the Department of Intoxicating Substances. That should be enough to placate the Wizengamot, though just how the public will react is anyone's guess."

Crouch failed to suppress the wince this time. The Department of International Magical Cooperation was a bit of a joke at times, but it did have the benefit of offering a lot of overseas travel at the Ministry's expense. Plus he had only answered to the Minister. Intoxicating Substances, on the other hand, would put him under Amelia Bones' direct authority...not to mention the cut in salary and the loss of a lot of fringe benefits.

Still, it was better than being unemployed. Or being thrown to a lynch mob.

"I accept. I don't have much choice." He said at length.

"Excellent." Amelia said, beaming. "You can start moving your office now."

Crouch walked out of the Director's office with a defeated air. _Goddamn war still hasn't finished taking things from me._

* * *

><p>Sun Wukong had escorted Harry to the park that was practically next door to his new home. Urd was accompanying them, ostensibly to assist Sun Wukong in whatever training would take place but mostly to prevent the Monkey King from accidentally setting off World War 3 with some overblown prank.<p>

She had good reason to be worried about that. Few people knew the prominent role that Sun Wukong had played in starting the Cuban Missile Crisis.

"Right then, this looks like a good place. We will do most of our training here, including magic once you're ready for it. We can use magic to make sure nobody sees anything that might raise suspicion, but for now we won't be doing anything too outlandish. OK?" Sun Wukong said as he came to a halt in front of Harry.

"OK." Harry said. The park wasn't much, mostly empty grass suitable for picnics and sport, but he supposed that if his new teacher was happy with it then it should do.

"Good. Now, just a little bit of etiquette. When I am teaching you, my title is Sensei. That is a Japanese word, and the rough English translation is 'teacher'. This is only during our teaching sessions, otherwise you just call me Monkey. OK?"

"OK." Harry said agreeably, while Urd wondered why the Monkey King was using "sensei" and not "sifu". Sun Wukong smiled gently and wagged a finger.

"As this is a lesson, that should have been 'yes sensei' but we won't dwell on it. The whole point of this is to establish a mindset that while we are here, we are in a classroom and we are here to learn. Calling me 'sensei' and all of the other little rituals that we will learn is just a part of establishing that. It also helps to drive home the difference between when we are together to learn and when we're just being together as friends. OK?"

"Yes, sensei." Harry replied.

"Excellent. Now, just as a foundation, I need to find out just how fit you are. Have you ever exercised much in the past?"

Harry winced slightly. "I have a lot of practice at running away from my cousin and his gang. I've also spent a lot of time tending to my aunt's garden."

Sun Wukong's expression was strained, but he kept a smile fixed to it. Urd didn't bother to restrain herself as she was outside of Harry's field of vision. "OK, so short distance sprinting. Let's start by working on your endurance a little. We'll have a gentle run around the park, let me know when you start to feel winded. But before that, we need to warm up. Watch me as I stretch various muscles to get them ready, and then perform the same stretches. I'll help you get the moves correct."

Urd moved into her own set of warm-up exercises as she watched the Monkey King start to teach Harry the fundamentals. _So far, so good. But I knew he was a good teacher before I even invited him here._

* * *

><p>Albus Dumbledore sat and brooded in his office at Hogwarts. The events of the last week were starting to wear on an already badly frayed temper.<p>

First of all, he'd lost control over Harry Potter. This was critical, as the ultimate demise of Voldemort hinged on Harry's future actions. Without proper guidance, the Dark Lord would remain a threat for a long time, maybe even centuries.

Albus was certain that nobody else knew the key facts that held the key to Voldemort's destruction. As such, only he could help Harry fulfil his destiny and eliminate the Dark Lord. The interference of the Odinsdotter sisters threatened the plan drastically, as he would now have a hard time gaining Harry's trust. That trust would be vital for the perils to come, and any delay in winning it could be more than just a little problematic.

The Odinsdotter sisters themselves presented a concern beyond their current status as custodians of the Boy-Who-Lived. Their demonstrated skill had driven home the fact that Britain now had a new set of magical heavy-weights. The wards they had erected were proof enough that the sisters knew more about magic than most British wizards or witches, while Urd's apparent legilimency...

That worried Dumbledore the most. Nobody had ever penetrated his occlumency barriers since his final confrontation with Grindelwald, and even then his old friend had been using every trick and nasty memory he could wield. Urd Odinsdotter had effortlessly bypassed his mental shields with nothing more than a quick distraction and lightning fast probe that he hadn't even detected.

It all spoke of skills far beyond the average. Dumbledore was well acquainted with the muggle expression "tip of the iceberg" and was wary of any group that could demonstrate such power with so few examples. He was left wondering what else they could do. Especially considering that they were completely new players on the chessboard that was British magical politics.

On top of these worries, however, came Sirius Black. Albus was convinced that Black's reappearance on the political scene of magical Britain occurring at the same time that Harry Potter had been removed from the Dursleys was no coincidence. He had no evidence that the Odinsdotters were involved, but the timing was just too convenient.

_What rankles me the most is that the trial has reminded me, again, that I've not handled this situation as well as I could have. First I made an error regarding the Blood Wards that would have made a 1st year blush, now I squander a valuable resource for nearly a decade due to simple neglect. Sirius Black would have been a very useful asset in cultivating Harry's trust and curbing the Dursley's worst excesses, but thanks to my inaction..._

He knew, with the benefit of hindsight, that he should have at least gone to confront Sirius in his cell at Azkaban prison. Even if he had held the view that Black had been a Death Eater, the potential information to be gained should have had the old Headmaster on the first available boat to the desolate fortress.

Instead he had gotten himself lost in the machinations of keeping Harry Potter secure from the forces of Death Eaters and bureaucrats. That and the turmoil of rebuilding magical society in the wake of the Death Eater trials. More than a few important Ministry officials had ended up in Azkaban at the end of that fiasco, and the daily battles to keep the system functional while keeping the influence of the dark families at bay had kept him occupied almost 24 hours a day.

_Neither of which is an excuse for wasting such a valuable asset. I should have known better. I cannot believe I would have been so negligent back in the 1940s._

Sighing to himself, he withdrew a fresh piece of parchment from a desk drawer and took up his favourite quill. It was time to stop worrying about his setbacks and start planning for the immediate future.

_Harry will be here at Hogwarts in two years. Unless the Odinsdotters decide to send him elsewhere. I must make sure that Hogwarts is the most appealing option for Harry. How to do this..._

A thought occurred. He dipped his quill into a nearby inkwell and started to write.

_Step one. Persuade Sirius Black to influence Harry into attending Hogwarts._

* * *

><p>While Harry had his first lesson with Sun Wukong, Belldandy had gone to visit the architect that her divination had indicated would be the best choice. She had taken a full set of diagrams of the church and house that Skuld had prepared, along with suggested design ideas from all three Norns.<p>

"I must say that I see few clients as prepared as you are," Adrian Fletcher said as he flipped through the drawings. "These will be extremely useful for any designs. You said you wanted to convert the old church to a residential building?"

"Yes, we thought we could split the main chamber into two floors," Belldandy said, "upstairs would have bedrooms with ensuites, while downstairs would have more bedrooms along with a kitchen, laundry, living room, dining room..."

"Say no more, Miss Odinsdotter, I can see what you're driving at." The architect said. "The height of the building allows for an extra floor quite easily, though I'd suggest leaving a few areas at full height to allow light to penetrate through. If we put a stairwell here..." Fletcher started to make pencil marks on the diagrams, as Belldandy leaned over to inspect.

Meanwhile, Skuld was busy with Sigel and Banpei as they finished clearing the site of her future laboratory and workshop. She had a rough sketch of what she wanted worked out using her own personal CAD software, and was busy working out the details with her two assistants.

"The key thing is getting enough power for everything," Skuld explained, "if I try to run the simulator gear and a local Yggdrasil unit off the mains, we'll cause brown-outs for the local area. So, I want a basement area that will contain a generator capable of powering all of my equipment plus the house and church. Here's what I have in mind." With that she sent a file from her terminal to both robots.

Both Sigel and Banpei examined the plans internally, and combined them with the scans they had made of the local geology. Banpei promptly went in search of his excavation attachments, while Sigel grabbed a can of spray paint and started to mark out the new building outline.

Skuld nodded approvingly, while she started to work on the designs for the special equipment she would need to establish a local power system. _I can't buy this stuff off the market, it would attract too much attention..._

* * *

><p>Sun Wukong nodded approvingly as Harry finished his final set of basic moves for the day. <em>Excellent start for somebody who's only experience in fighting has been to run away from a bunch of bullies.<em>

Today had been more about evaluating Harry's abilities and laying the groundwork for his physical training. While Harry had fairly good stamina and excellent sprinting skills, he needed a lot of fundamental strength and endurance training to get him on a level that the Monkey King would like to see in a student.

"Good work, Harry. Let's stop it there for today. It is about time for lunch, and I don't want to go too far in our first lesson. Let's head back to the house and we can discuss a schedule for future lessons."

"OK, sensei." Harry said as he straightened up.

"To finish off, we'll do some gentle exercises to help our muscles cool down. I'll do this slowly, just follow along." Sun Wukong said, as he started with an arm stretch.

Urd followed along, noting the efficiency of the movements. Finally, the Monkey King stopped and faced his student directly. Harry followed suit.

"At the end of the lesson, we bow to each other. This is as much about acknowledging that the lesson is finished as it is about any sort of seniority or rank. Don't go overboard, just a short bow will do." Sun Wukong explained.

After the bows had been exchanged, Urd clapped her hands to get Harry's attention. "Good lesson, Harry. Go ahead and have a quick shower before lunch, I have to talk to your teacher here."

Harry nodded. The house was not that far away. "OK, see you at home."

Following Harry at a short distance, Urd looked at Sun Wukong curiously. "Why 'sensei' and not 'sifu'?"

"Because there is a native Japanese speaker in this household and no native Chinese speakers. Except for you and your sisters, but you know what I mean. I'm guessing that you'll teach Harry to speak Japanese at some point. And I won't use English terms either - 'master' has the wrong connotations and 'teacher' has been degraded in this country." Monkey explained.

Urd nodded. "You know better than any of us what fighting style suits Harry the best. How much time do you need per week? Remember that he'll have human schools to attend as well."

Sun Wukong looked thoughtful. "He caught on fast today. Assuming that you and your sisters will be giving him the fundamentals of using his magic as well, I'll only need three sessions a week. Two hours for each session."

Urd looked slightly astonished. "Is that all?"

"Oh, you'll also need to keep his exercise regimen up while I'm not here," Sun Wukong went on, "but in terms of learning to fight, six hours per week should cover it. Of course, he won't be reaching his Mastery until he is an adult, but he should be good enough in two years to keep himself alive."

Urd nodded again. "Good. To be honest we don't know what kind of timeframe we have. The best we can work on is that things should remain quiet until he turns eleven. After that, he'll definitely need to be able to look after himself to a limited degree."

"No problems there." Sun Wukong noted.

"Fine. Let's have lunch...and please don't antagonise my sisters any more than you absolutely have to. They're half convinced that I've gone crazy, asking you here..."

The Monkey King's answering grin was malicious. Urd sighed. _One battle at a time..._

* * *

><p>Contrary to Urd's expectations, lunch was a friendly and relaxing event. Harry had spent some time telling Belldandy and Skuld about his morning's lessons (Sun Wukong had chosen to adopt the inscrutable old martial arts teacher attitude and had simply smiled his way through the meal). Skuld for her part had talked about her plans for her new lab - not that anybody understood one word in ten of the technobabble. Belldandy had the provisional drawings that the architect had created for the church renovations.<p>

Once lunch was over, Sun Wukong had departed after agreeing to a Monday-Wednesday-Friday training schedule. Once the Monkey King had gone, Urd addressed her family.

"I have to go to Diagon Alley this afternoon to get my store ready. I'm guessing that you have more work to do on your lab, Skuld?"

Skuld nodded. "Yep! We got the first stage of the foundations dug and the reinforcing mesh set up, now we need to start pouring concrete!"

Urd nodded briefly and went on. "Fine. Belldandy, can you start teaching Harry how to use his magic this afternoon?"

"Of course. Come on, Harry, this will be fun!" Belldandy said enthusiastically.

Harry beamed. Real magic!

* * *

><p>Urd's new shop needed a lot of work. She was very particular about her workspace. For one thing, it had to be clean and well organised.<p>

The rear of the shop had a few old offices and storerooms that she converted to a lab and ingredient storage with a few quick spells. She didn't want spectators when she was brewing, especially as some of the potions she planned to sell were her own creations. She had no illusions about the patent process in magical Britain, and how it was designed to allow established rich wizards to take anything they wanted, so secrecy was the order of the day.

To that end she had established an elaborate set of layered wards, starting with the basic anti-fire protections and working up to wards that made the walls impenetrable and spying impossible. Nobody was going to scry _her _workspace. Not without access to Yggdrasil, at least.

She was now working in the front, public area of the shop. This was an important space and she needed to get it right, as the ambience of a shop could seriously affect sales. Reflecting on the society she would be operating in, she chose a Victorian theme. Except that the whole shop was very cleverly laid out using all the tricks that marketers had come up with over the previous century or so. Victor Gruen would not have approved.

_Now for a name for this little shop of mine..._ Urd thought. It would have to be something that wouldn't alienate the locals, but still reflected her own personality.

_Ah. That will work. _Urd gestured, and a sign appeared over the front door. It was large enough to be easily read across the road, but not so large as to be ostentatious.

_Urd's_ _Elegant Potions _was almost ready for business. All she had to do now was brew up some basic stock, and then start the rounds of sales pitches to places like St Mungo's.

* * *

><p>Belldandy and Harry were seated at the dining room table, which had a piece of green velvet spread over it. Belldandy looked across the table at Harry, before she placed a single marble in the centre of the velvet.<p>

"This is an ordinary marble, used for a variety of games. I want you to look at it carefully, noting every detail. Tell me when you are ready."

Harry stared at the marble, noting the colour, the patterns, how the light reflected from it, the smoothness of its surface. Eventually, he looked up at his Aunty Bell.

"I'm ready, I think."

"Good," Belldandy said, "now close your eyes and picture the marble in your mind. Try to get as accurate and realistic vision of it as you can, including how it looked on the table."

Harry did as instructed, quickly establishing a mental image of the marble on the table.

"Now, picture the marble rolling to your left. Imagine how it will look as it rotates, how the light will reflect off the pattern, how the pattern will change as it rolls along."

Harry concentrated and did as he was instructed. The distinctive pattern actually helped, as it made it easy to visualise how it would look as it moved.

"Very good. Now open your eyes."

Harry opened his eyes, and saw that the marble...had actually moved. He looked at Belldandy with slightly widened eyes.

Belldandy smiled encouragingly. "I did not touch the marble, Harry. Neither did you. That was your magic reacting to your will. Now, let's see if you can do it again. Close your eyes, and this time visualise the marble rolling towards me. Don't try to make the marble move, just concentrate on the picture of it moving."

Harry took a breath and closed his eyes again. It was a good start to a very long afternoon.

* * *

><p>That evening, Harry excitedly discussed his day's activities with Keiichi over dinner.<p>

"...it was hard at first, but I eventually got the marble to move around with my eyes open! It was so cool, I just looked at it and I could make it go where I wanted!"

Keiichi nodded and smiled broadly. "That is very good, Harry! Did you do anything more?"

Harry's grin seemed to be permanent. "No, Aunty Bell said that was enough for the day. She said that I needed to take things slowly at first."

"She isn't wrong, Harry." Urd said from across the table. "It might not have seemed like a lot, but moving that marble is tiring work when you start. You're certainly going to sleep well tonight."

Harry nodded. While he didn't want to admit it, he had felt quite tired by the time Belldandy had called a halt.

"We'll mix lessons on magic with other subjects, Harry." Belldandy explained. "You still need to learn everything else that students your age are taught. We'll also work on things like your bicycle, to break up the routine a little."

Harry nodded again. School was school, even here.

"My shop is just about ready to go, I just need to drum up some business with places like St Mungo's." Urd announced. "That will give me the publicity I need to gather a regular clientelle."

Skuld then launched into a discussion of her day's activities, which quickly became incomprehensible as she went into the finer details of what was planned. Harry started to nod off at the table about halfway through Skuld's discourse, which prompted Belldandy to usher him off to get ready for bed.

Later that evening, the Norns compared notes on the state of progress.

"We're pretty much established here in Britain," Urd said, "from now on we can concentrate on teaching Harry and healing his old wounds."

"Yes, there are still problems to be addressed with young Harry," Belldandy said with a sad look in her eyes, "I have placed listening charms on his room to alert me to any nightmares he might have. With his background, they are inevitable at some point."

"I'm afraid you're right," Urd said uneasily, "wretched Blood Wards. Well, stage one is basically complete. We're beyond Dumbledore's reach for the moment, even with the release of Harry's Godfather from prison, and we have control over the Potter estate. Time to get used to a new routine."

"Routine?" Skuld asked sceptically, "you mean like we had at home, with random demon attacks, the chaos of Keiichi's club, and the general mayhem that surrounded us?"

"Yes," Urd said with a grin, "that sort of routine. The type that doesn't revolve around world-shattering prophecies. And now I'm going to bed - my taste testing tour of the local drinks has led me to an urgent appointment with some of the few dozen bottles of Laphroaig Quarter Cask that I took delivery of today. Goodnight!"

Belldandy and Skuld looked at each other briefly, before they both shrugged. "Whatever. If she's going to do that, I have a few pints of ice-cream waiting for me..." Skuld said as she wandered off.

Belldandy smiled gently. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes:<strong> Sun Wukong is a character from "Journey to the West", which was written in the 16th century. Needless to say that I don't own any part of the intellectual property associated with that epic. I suggest you Google for Sun Wukong if you aren't familiar with the character. For children of the 80s, a song about "monkey magic" might be a good memory prompt.

From now on I'll be indulging in time skips (YES, AT LAST!) so this day-by-day account will cease. Expect more on Sirius Black and exactly what Skuld is building in the yard.

Thanks to everybody who has left a review. I do value feedback, and incorporate bits of it (especially when people point out canonical mistakes). Congratulations to Tolotos, who correctly identified who Albert Haddock was based on (or at least where I got the name from).


	9. Chapter 9: Settling In

I don't own any part of Harry Potter or Oh My Goddess.

* * *

><p>Life for Harry and his new family settled into a new routine during their second week together. The weekend was spent mostly on recreational activities, which primarily revolved around Harry working out the fine art of riding a bicycle. Keiichi had purchased an additional four bicycles in order to make Harry's lessons more of a family activity, but both Urd and Skuld had begged off. Urd was busy establishing the basic stock for her new shop while Skuld was working flat out on her increasingly more elaborate workshop in the backyard.<p>

In the end, Harry had gone for a gentle ride around the local neighbourhood with Belldandy and Keiichi. By the end of it he was fairly confident on his bicycle, and he had managed to familiarise himself with the local street layout. He had suffered one or two falls, as beginners often do, but between Belldandy's first aid skills and Keiichi's ability to repair any damage that the bicycle might have suffered the tumbles passed with relatively little incident.

When he was not riding his bicycle, Harry found himself assisting Keiichi in fitting a sidecar to his motorbike. The young engineer had managed to acquire a Watsonian GP Classic sidecar that would fit his Triumph Bonneville, but it took a little work to get it attached the first time. Harry was only too happy to help, and had a fun couple of hours getting covered in grease.

His lessons on the use of magic with Belldandy continued over the weekend, but she had been firm and insisted that weekends would only be spent practicing what they had covered in the preceding week. Even so, a few hours of rolling marbles around with his magic had been quite fun, especially when Belldandy added mazes to the activity.

Monday morning heralded the first of Sun Wukong's regular lessons with Harry. Belldandy elected to supervise the sessions, on the basis that she would be the only person at home. There was also the fact that the Norn of the Present would be a far greater calming influence on the Monkey King. Sun Wukong continued with the slow but steady introduction he had started the previous week, focussing on building Harry's stamina and general physical fitness while establishing a solid martial arts foundation that was built on basic katas.

In addition to the self defence lessons, Harry got to grips with the home tutoring schedule that Belldandy had drawn up. She was determined that Harry would be in an excellent position to continue his education when the next school year began, and ran Harry through a variety of subjects.

One thing that Harry had never had the opportunity for in his previous school was learning foreign languages. Belldandy had started him out with Japanese lessons, but had quickly added French and Norwegian. Harry was demonstrating a knack for languages that Belldandy was quick to pick up. She was already moving ahead with the language lessons at a faster rate than she had originally planned for. At the rate of progress he had demonstrated in the first week, he would easily be fluent within a few years. The challenge now was to maintain that momentum, something that Harry was eager to do after seeing how delighted Belldandy was at his rapid progress.

Urd had informed Harry that she would teach him the fine art of creating potions at some point, but for the moment she was unable to do so thanks to her shop. Until Urd had spare time again, Belldandy had used the time allocated to potions lessons to teach Harry the basics of ingredient preparation and identification as well as working on learning the reaction tables that would help to avoid explosive results. These lessons threatened to be very boring, as the fun part of using the ingredients to create potions was left out, but Belldandy made up for it by taking frequent short breaks to practice his magic.

Overall, things were going well and Harry could not remember having ever been happier. Which made it all that much harder when his past caught up with him a fortnight after he had left Little Whinging.

* * *

><p>Keiichi felt disoriented. He had woken up for some reason, but the root cause eluded him. As awareness started to creep in, he cast a bleary glance at the digital display of his alarm clock.<p>

_Why am I awake at 1:37 in the morning? _Was the first thought that struck him as he registered what the display was showing. He looked around the rest of the room in search of what had disturbed his sleep, before he noticed that he was alone.

A year before that would not have caused him to rouse from his slumber, but by now he was used to sleeping with another person in his bed. A cursory examination of the empty space to his left revealed that not only had his fiancée vacated the bed, but she had done so in a bit of a hurry.

_What the heck is going on? _Keiichi pondered as he levered himself upright. He found his slippers by feel more than anything else, though his dressing gown took a little more effort to locate. Suitably garbed, he softly walked out of his room in search of Belldandy.

He did not have to go far. The door to Harry's room was wide open, and Keiichi heard what sounded like muffled sobs coming from the room. He sped up a little as he approached the door, but paused as he arrived and saw what was going on inside.

Belldandy had Harry cradled in her arms, his face pressed into her shoulder. Harry was crying with great heaving sobs as Belldandy gently rubbed his back and head. She looked over as Keiichi approached, and gently shook her head. Keiichi got the message and withdrew slightly, but stayed within range in case Belldandy needed any help.

_Not that I'd know what to do. _Keiichi thought to himself. _I'm just wondering what brought this on. _

Keiichi thought back to his own childhood. He had been fortunate in that his sleep had rarely been interrupted by nightmares, but he did recall a few that had scared him senseless. His mother had been an incredible source of comfort on those rare occasions, but his memories were not entirely clear thanks to the passage of time.

One thing did come to him. With a small nod to himself, he turned and headed towards the kitchen. _Time to see if I can get some warm milk without burning it first._

As he busied himself in the kitchen, Keiichi thought about the situation upstairs. It actually made sense, now that he was more fully awake to consider the issue.

_By all accounts, Harry was badly abused by his relatives. It makes sense that he'll have some bad memories that will haunt his dreams for a while. Sadly there isn't much we can do to help him._

Keiichi carefully noted the milk's temperature with a thermometer Urd had purchased for frothing milk for her cappuccinos.

_Well, there is something we can do. Belldandy is doing it right now. With enough care and love, plus the passage of time, Harry just might be able to leave those monsters behind him._

With the milk at the right temperature - he hoped - Keiichi poured it into a glass and took it upstairs. Time to see if he was actually ready to be a father.

* * *

><p>When morning came, Harry had risen early and had gone directly to the kitchen to start cooking breakfast. Belldandy had managed to intercept him on the way, having been alerted by her monitoring wards. She discovered that the half-conscious boy had somehow slipped back into old habits and was on his way to cook up Dudley's usual fry-up. Belldandy promptly ushered Harry into the dining room and had him sit down while she prepared something a lot healthier. Harry looked a little upset, but a quick hug and reassurance from Belldandy had eliminated the stress. Keiichi turned up shortly to offer Belldandy assistance in the kitchen, having woken up when Belldandy left their bed.<p>

Belldandy's sisters arrived to see three of the five members of the household looking a little worse for wear. Harry and Keiichi both looked like they needed at least another six hours of sleep, while Belldandy had a vague sense of stress about her. Urd noted the rather strained atmosphere and elected to remain quiet. Skuld quickly caught on and emulated her eldest sister.

Once Harry had left for his morning ablutions, Urd finally broke the silence.

"Problems last night?" She asked mildly. Belldandy nodded in agreement.

"The monitoring charms I placed in Harry's room alerted me to the fact that he was having a bad nightmare last night. It took Keiichi and I an hour to calm him down again."

Urd scowled. "Let me guess. Baggage from the Dursleys."

"Yes." Belldandy said with a sigh. "I'm surprised that it took this long for the damage to show, but then again he has been going to bed very tired ever since we removed him from that place. Now that he's getting used to the routine, he isn't quite so exhausted when he goes off to sleep. I'm guessing that was the trigger - his mind is finally processing everything and the old fears are still there."

Urd shook her head. Sometimes she wished she could visit some real justice on the Dursleys, but she knew that adequate punishment was not within her purview. _Somebody else will deal with that lot in good time, we all just have to be patient._

"Well, we did expect this kind of thing would happen eventually. You've already got things well in hand though, so there isn't much else we can do." Urd stated.

Skuld looked up. "What about a potion to give him dreamless sleep? Would that help?"

Urd shook her head. "That would help in the short term, but it would only be addressing the symptoms. The root problem would remain. Unfortunately the only thing we can do is allow Harry to work through the demons in his mind, and give him as much support as we can. And to be honest I think Belldandy is the best person on the planet to help him."

Skuld nodded and returned to her breakfast. It was obvious from her expression that she was entertaining similar thoughts as Urd's regarding the Dursleys.

Urd decided to change the topic. "I have enough of a stockpile built up that I can start to make sales pitches. St Mungo's today, the Aurors on Monday. Useless bureaucrats don't work on weekends..."

"Will St Mungo's be open today? It is Saturday." Skuld asked.

"It's a hospital, kid, they don't close the doors on any day of the year. I made an appointment for this and they chose this morning, so I'm going to assume that it is fine with them. I'll see you all later." With that, Urd rose from the table and headed for their newly established Floo connection. A brief burst of flame and she was gone.

Skuld finished her tea before she stood. "I'm in the final stage of building my lab, if I can get the last bits wired up today I can install the simulator gear by Monday. See you later!"

Now that he was alone with Belldandy, Keiichi turned to his fiancée with a concerned look. "I take it we can expect more of what happened last night?"

Belldandy nodded sadly. "Harry is young and resilient, but he will take some time to heal the wounds of the past. I am sorry about disturbing you last night, I hope you aren't upset."

Keiichi waved her off. "I'm only upset because Harry has been treated badly enough that he has this happening to him. It isn't his fault and it certainly isn't yours. If I'm going to blame anybody I'll keep it for the monsters who abused him in the first place."

Belldandy hugged her fiancé before she returned to cleaning up the kitchen. Keiichi smiled before he started to help.

* * *

><p>Skuld was sweating when she made the last connections to her equipment. This was more a result of nervousness than it was about the physical effort involved - she had robots to do the heavy lifting, but design and prototyping was down to her.<p>

Satisfied that everything was in place, she stepped back from her handiwork and inspected it. _Everything is in place. The GIS, cables, protection and control, fire detection and suppression...now all I need to do is switch it all on and see if it works._

Carefully opening up circuit breakers, she hit the switch and watched as the results of her hard work slowly came to life.

_Pressure is OK, rotational speed is good, now engage the generator..._

From a vantage point behind a desk, Sigel was monitoring the system on several computer displays. She looked up at her creator. "Everything is within acceptable levels, mistress."

Skuld nodded. "Now we have to connect it all to the house. We'll leave the valves closed and the breakers open for now, I'll just open the isolators and attach some earths. We should get this all done by lunch time."

* * *

><p>Harry looked a little pensive as he helped Belldandy get the table set up for his lesson on magic. Belldandy noticed and moved next to the young boy.<p>

"What's the problem, Harry?" The Norn of the Present asked.

Harry hesitated, before he spoke in quiet tone. "About last night..."

"Yes, Harry dear?" Belldandy said warmly.

"I didn't meant to disturb anyone..." Harry began, before Belldandy interrupted him with a hug.

"I know, Harry. It wasn't your fault. Do not worry about waking me up like that, you needed somebody and I was happy to be there for you. Now let's have some fun!"

Harry smiled weakly, before he turned to the table where a marble was waiting.

* * *

><p>Urd watched as the Chief Healer of St Mungo's inspected the Skelegrow potion she had brought along as an example. She knew that it was far superior to anything that the magical world had at the moment, simply because she had developed a method of brewing that allowed for the inclusion of an analgesic to the potion. Normally this would result in a mix that would react violently with the standard metal cauldrons used to brew most potions, but by using Pyrex beakers and an analgesic not found in Europe Urd had managed something considered impossible.<p>

Painless Skelegrow. Well, almost painless. The pain level was now roughly comparable to a mild ache, which was a considerable improvement over the regular potion.

"Remarkable." The Chief Healer said as he straightened up from his examination. "If this is the quality we can expect from you, Miss Odinsdotter, then I am obliged to try and acquire as much of your stock as possible."

His attention, and Urd's, now shifted to the Administrator of St Mungo's. While the Chief Healer was responsible for maintaining the standard of care that the hospital was famous for, the Administrator controlled the purse strings. After a moment, the middle aged woman nodded.

"What kind of price structure can we expect?" The bureaucrat asked.

Urd silently held out a piece of parchment that contained a complete list of all the potions she was offering, along with the pricing.

The Administrator took the parchment and looked through it. Then she raised her eyebrows and looked up at Urd.

"This is considerably cheaper than I had expected. Are you sure that this pricing is sustainable?"

Urd smirked. "Yes, but bear in mind that you are looking at my bulk supply prices. To guarantee no price increases beyond the ordinary rate of inflation, I must have a one year contract. At the very least. "

The Administrator nodded, before returning to the list. After a moment, she set it down on the desk.

"I believe we can make a deal, Miss Odinsdotter. Please take a seat while I get the standard contract."

"I'll get back to my rounds." The Chief Healer said as he departed.

Urd smiled broadly as she seated herself. With this contract, Urd's Elegant Potions would be a household word across magical Europe within a fortnight.

* * *

><p>Keiichi and Belldandy had been puzzled when Skuld had asked for the electricity supply to the house and church to be turned off. This had forced Belldandy to move Harry's magical lesson outside, accompanied by Keiichi who decided to work on another English textbook in the shade of a tree. Now Skuld had summoned the three to her new laboratory.<p>

"As you know, the simulation gear I received for my further education is a bit power intensive. As such, I have incorporated a power generation system into my new laboratory." Skuld explained.

Keiichi blinked. "I take it you hooked up the house and church as well?"

Skuld nodded. "Yes, that's why I had the power off earlier. Come downstairs and I'll show you the system."

Skuld's laboratory had two underground levels that had not been a feature of the original garden shed that had been on the site originally. Harry guessed that Banpei was quite good with a shovel.

"I couldn't use conventional generation systems, as the fuel requirements would have been very expensive and might have attracted attention from some authorities. As such, I was forced to look for a renewable energy source that could be implemented in a relatively small space. And here it is!"

With that, Skuld flipped on the lights of the lowest level of her lab. Keiichi, Harry and Belldandy looked at a confusing array of pipes, unidentified machines and what appeared to be water tanks.

"Er, what is it?" Harry asked.

Skuld beamed. "This is a geothermal power station! I built my own system to create the 20 kilometre deep boreholes, Mr Driller." She pointed at a lump covered by a tarpaulin in the corner. "He's on standby if I ever need more. I then installed four heat exchange pipes, to give the system redundancy in case one fails. These take water down to a level where I had Mr Driller install a high-tech heat exchanger that super-heats the steam to 600 degrees centigrade. This steam is brought up to the four turbines over there." She pointed at four small pipe shaped objects. Keiichi thought that they looked far too small to be real steam turbines. "They each have a generator attached. One generator is enough to run my lab by itself, but with two operating I can also power the house and church as well. With all four we have a redundant system."

Skuld walked through a door into a new room. "Once the steam has gone through the turbines, it is cooled using a heat exchanger in this room. This creates hot water that I have plumbed into the house's central heating system and bathrooms, so we should save gas in the future. This next room contains the switchgear."

Another door was opened, revealing a room full of what appeared to be metal cabinets.

"This is a gas insulated switchgear system that directs the power from the generators. There are two breakers each for the house and church, the rest are for my lab and the generators. The sulphur hexafluoride gas is non-flammable and I have detectors in place to pick up any leaks. I also have a complete fire detection and suppression system that will utilise carbon dioxide extinguishers automatically in case anything catches fire."

Skuld turned to her guests dramatically. "Any questions?"

There was a moment of silence, before Keiichi spoke up. "So you've built a complete geothermal power station in our garden? And it powers the entire property, as well as giving us free hot water?"

Skuld nodded happily. "Yes!"

Keiichi paused, before he shook his head. "Only you, Skuld. Well done for all of this, it should cut our power and gas bills a lot. How much did this cost?"

Skuld shook her head. "Nothing. I did all the work with Sigel and Banpei, including fabricating all the parts. I got the raw materials from a private supplier I know who was willing to part with it for free provided I moved it myself." This was code for '_I got it from Asgard_'. "Now to bring everything online!"

With that, Skuld moved to a computer terminal and entered a few commands. There was a series of heavy thunks from the switchgear.

"There! The house should have power again. We're still hooked up to the mains, but we shouldn't ever need it from now on."

"Well done, Skuld! Now how about we go to lunch?" Belldandy said cheerfully. Keiichi walked out muttering under his breath, while Harry looked at the equipment with interest.

_Well, she did build those robots..._

* * *

><p>Amelia Bones, Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, was feeling remarkably chipper considering the mountain of paperwork she was dealing with. All things considered, things were going well.<p>

The Black Scandal (as the Daily Prophet had promptly named the mismanagement of Sirius Black's case) was still a hot topic but the immediate repercussions had almost fully played out. Barty Crouch was safely sidelined in his new role, the previous Chief Auror had retired to his family property in Wales and the public didn't seem to be in the mood to demand any more heads on the chopping block.

_Yet. _Amelia thought with a grim smile. _Bagnold hasn't woken up to it, but this will ultimately force her out of office. The Wizengamot was already losing faith in her, after this little debacle even her most die-hard supports are becoming disillusioned. She's got another 12 months in office, if that._

Not that this was of any great concern. Ministers came and Ministers went. The system carried on regardless. It was only during times of crisis that an empty Minister's office could prove to be a major problem.

Of course, Amelia had discovered the price that she was going to have to pay for this mess. Hence the pile of paperwork in front of her. It was all very well to sack some useless idiots, promote others sideways and order a major restructure of how the DMLE handled prosecutions...but ultimately all of those actions generated paperwork. A lot of which ended up on the Director's desk.

Still, it was a price worth paying for what she had received in return - heightened respect in the community at large, a great deal more leeway when it came to doing her job and a Chief Auror who was willing to look past her chest. The previous Chief had been rather old-fashioned in his views towards the role of witches in society, which had caused no end of friction.

Amelia paused as she reviewed the next file. It was a report from the Aurors' chief healer, bringing attention to the fact that St Mungo's had recently awarded a large contract to a new potions shop that had recently opened in Diagon Alley. The Aurors were now interested in trying to jump on the bandwagon and be added to the contract.

It was standard practice, really. The Aurors had a staff of potions brewers themselves, but they spent most of their time maintaining the supply of veritaserum (which had a limited shelf life) and providing battlefield potions. For everything else, the DMLE depended on external suppliers. Due to the quantities required, the DMLE tended to make large orders and had found that working with St Mungo's allowed for contracts that provided substantial discounts due to the sheer volume involved.

It was odd for St Mungo's to have made their own contract without consulting the DMLE first, but it wasn't unheard of. Obviously the famous hospital had been offered a deal that was attractive enough to persuade the Administrator that forming a joint contract with the DMLE wasn't necessary.

_Let's see here, what kind of prices are they talking about... _Amelia's thought process trailed off as she saw the name of the new supplier of potions.

_Urd's_ _Elegant Potions. It cannot be a coincidence. _The Director thought to herself. _I believe I will have to ask someone to look into this Urd. _

* * *

><p>Urd returned home with a satisfied smile. Not only had she secured a contract with St Mungo's, but she had opened her shop for the first time just after lunch. The novelty value alone had drawn visitors to come and look, most of whom had made the transition from "visitor" to "customer" fairly quickly.<p>

_There's a lot to be said for attractive packaging and a well designed layout. _Urd thought smugly as she entered the living room. There she found Skuld and Harry engaged in a life or death struggle in some two player video game, while Keiichi watched from one side.

"Hello. Have a good day?" Urd greeted the room in general.

"Hello Urd. Yes, I think we did. Skuld has her workshop up and running and we made progress on Harry's bicycle training." Keiichi replied. Skuld appeared to be far too engrossed in the game to look up, but Harry turned around briefly.

"Hello Aunty Urd!" He said cheerfully before he turned his attention back to the screen. Apparently his distraction had not given Skuld any advantage at all, which the young Norn found quite annoying.

"Good. I'll just have a chat with Belldandy." Urd replied, walking in the general direction of the kitchen.

"Hello Urd," Belldandy said cheerfully as her sister entered the kitchen, "did you have a good day?"

_That's my line, _Urd thought to herself. "Hi Bell. Yes I did, actually, it looks like my little shop is off to a successful start. Now I just have to maintain the momentum."

"Will you be opening again tomorrow then?" Belldandy asked. Urd shook her head.

"Nothing on Diagon Alley opens on a Sunday, apart from the pub and Gringotts. Opening my shop would be a waste of time as there will be nobody around looking to purchase anything. It would also raise suspicions we don't need."

"Oh, OK." Belldandy said. She was used to a society in which shops strived to be open for as long as possible.

"How is Harry?" Urd asked. That was the more pressing concern.

Belldandy pursed her lips. "He seems to be OK. He was a little withdrawn this morning but our magical lesson helped. That seemed to draw him out of his shell. This afternoon we went out to ride our bicycles together for a while, after that we mostly played some board games as a group. Until Skuld decided that she wanted to play video games, that is. The test will be to see what happens tonight."

Urd nodded. "There isn't much we can do about that. I'm afraid that you and Keiichi will just have to endure more interruptions to your sleep."

Belldandy smiled gently. "I'm sure we can manage. Can you please set the table? Dinner will be ready shortly."

"Sure thing, sis." Urd said as she moved to gather up cutlery. _I know you can manage, Bell. There's no way known that you could fail to help somebody like Harry. All the more reason to have another chat with Keiichi tomorrow, I think we need to discuss your impending marriage._

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes:<strong> This one took longer than usual because of work commitments. That and I got distracted by the new Shogun 2 expansion.

Thanks to everyone at Caer Azkaban who provided feedback and proof-reading for this. You all know who you are.

Regarding Skuld's geothermal power plant. Yes, I know what she has done is technically impossible to do. But this is a person who has developed two robots who have AI's so advanced that they are capable of _falling in love. _She also built a WW2 super-gun as a _side-project. _Frankly, a little generator like this is child's play to her.

Next time: why does Urd want to talk to Keiichi about his upcoming marriage? What will Skuld do with the horcrux? Why am I asking you when I'm the one who will write it all?


	10. Chapter 10: Butterfly Wings

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter or Oh My Goddess.

* * *

><p>Keiichi was only mildly surprised when Urd asked for a private discussion. With nothing else vying for his attention, he followed her as she made her way to the garage. Once inside, Urd turned to her future brother in law with a serious expression.<p>

"Right. I think we need a small change in our plans, Keiichi."

"Which plans?" Keiichi asked innocently. There was a lot on their collective plates at that time, so Urd's comment was just a little ambiguous.

Urd sighed. "The plans for your wedding. The last time you talked about it, you said something about holding the wedding in summer next year?"

"That's right," Keiichi agreed, "that gives us time to organise it with my family and build up enough leave for a small honeymoon."

Urd nodded. "That sounds good, but unfortunately I think we need to move the schedule up a bit."

"By how much?" Was the rather tense response.

"I'm thinking the end of this year," Urd said, "Harry will be in his new school by then but will have some time off over the Christmas and New Year period. In that time we can get to Japan, hold the wedding and then get back here."

"Why the rush?" Keiichi demanded.

"Two reasons," Urd said softly, "one practical, the other less so. The first reason relates to Harry's recent nightmare. You and Belldandy did a good job to help him with it, but we can expect more like that in the future."

"I thought that might be the case," Keiichi said with a sigh, "but what does that have to do with the wedding?"

"Harry knows you two are engaged," Urd explained, "he was there when you proposed. I believe that the sooner we can give Harry a family the faster he'll heal from his past. Having you two married - and having Harry attend the event - will go a long way towards that goal."

Keiichi thought about it for a moment. "That makes sense I suppose," he allowed, "if nothing else the wedding will be a happy memory for him. What was the other reason?"

Urd looked uncomfortable. "Less of a reason and more of an instinct. I have a gut feeling that the sooner you two are married the better. Call it a hunch. I've learned to not ignore hunches over the years."

"When the Norn of the Past has a hunch, I think we should pay attention," Keiichi said seriously, "OK then. I'll talk to Belldandy and let my family know about the change of plans. I should be able to get enough leave for a quick trip to Japan by December, even if I have to take some unpaid leave to do it. The honeymoon will have to wait, I suppose."

Urd nodded. "I'm afraid so. Sorry to dump this on you, K-boy, but sometimes these things happen."

Keiichi just nodded. _After everything we've been through, changing the wedding date is trivial. It isn't like we're talking about the end of the world...again..._

* * *

><p>With Skuld's workshop (or laboratory, as Skuld insisted on calling it) now established, the youngest Norn spent most of her time buried inside of it as she caught up on her training. Given that she had been neglecting her education for a few years by that stage, she was working overtime and then some. Consequently, the rest of the family only ever saw her at meal times, and even then she would often get something portable in order to eat while working.<p>

Belldandy didn't like it, but understood. Harry was puzzled at first, until Urd explained.

"Skuld took time off from her magical education when she came to Japan with us. Now she has to catch up a lot of material fairly quickly. So, you can expect her to be off by herself for a while. Though she does need to relax, so if you can get her to unwind with a game or something occasionally, that would be good."

Harry decided that if what Skuld was doing right now was an example of what happened when you put things off, he would do his best to get his work done on time. Belldandy approved when he voiced this to her, surprising him with a hug.

"That's a good attitude to have, Harry. Procrastination can often result in more work later - there's an old saying, 'a stitch in time saves nine'. Skuld is discovering the truth of that now, if you learn from her current plight you could save yourself a lot of trouble later on."

Keiichi, in the mean time, had managed to purchase a mini-bike kit for Harry. Harry now had a new weekend activity - helping Keiichi assemble the bike. This took a while, as Keiichi took the time to explain every step of the process to Harry before they did it. He also explained what all the parts were and what they did. Keiichi explained to Harry that he would be able to do a lot of his own maintenance if he had a good understanding of the nature of his motorbike, and the fundamentals were important.

Work on the mini-bike was a good incentive for Harry to master his bicycle, a goal that Belldandy and Keiichi were only too happy to help with. The trio were soon undertaking extended rides around the town of Hinckley, learning its layout.

A week before Harry's birthday, Belldandy organised to have him visit an optometrist to have his vision checked. As she had expected, his prescription was out of date and needed to be replaced. Belldandy took the opportunity to get Harry a more stylish set of frame that suited him a lot better than the cheap (and many times repaired) set that the Dursleys had seen fit to give him.

As they were leaving the optometrist, Belldandy turned to Harry with a suggestion.

"While we're here in town, why don't we get you a haircut? It must be difficult taking care of your hair the way it is."

Harry looked glum. "Aunt Petunia once cut my hair off. It re-grew overnight. She was very angry about that."

Belldandy's smile remained fixed to her face, even if it looked a little brittle. "I'm sure that was because it was something you didn't want, and your magic responded to it. This time we'll get you a style that you want and like. OK?"

Harry perked up a little. "OK, let's try it."

An hour later, Harry had a new haircut that was a significant improvement on the untamed mop (though the hair-dresser had kindly referred to it as a 'Beatles cut') that he'd had before. Now his hair was generally neat and tidy on the sides, but enough fringe had been left that he could cover his scar if he wanted to. The hairdresser had talked about "layering" and other terms that Harry didn't understand, except that it made what was left look slightly more ordered than his old mop had ever been.

"It looks good on you, Harry! Let's get home, if we go now we can be there for lunch." Belldandy said as Harry paused to look at himself in the reflection of a window. Harry looked up and smiled back at his Aunty Bell.

* * *

><p>When the report on one Urd Odinsdotter finally reached the desk of Amelia Bones, the recipient was momentarily confused by it. It took a minute before she remembered who Urd Odinsdotter was and why she had authorised a background check.<p>

_She turns up at the Ministry asking about the trial records for Sirius Black, triggering his trial which has seen the most political upheaval since the Death Eater trials, then she starts a potions shop and secures a contract with St Mungo's in no time at all...there's something more going on here. Let's see what my researchers dug up._

The report was a typical example of the thoroughness that the DMLE could achieve when properly motivated. Of course, having the Director issue orders usually got results. Unfortunately for Amelia, what she found was a very thorough and in depth report on somebody who was, in essence, just another witch.

_Raised in Norway, excellent academic results across the board, though there's a note here from the Headmaster that she was constantly making trouble and pulling pranks. I guess every school has their share of mischief-makers..._

All in all, there was nothing that raised any red flags anywhere in the document. Apart from achieving her Potions Mastery in an astonishingly short period of time and her relationship to Harry Potter, Urd Odinsdotter was not the type of person who would ordinarily attract the interest of the DMLE.

_She's obviously a prodigy with potions, based on how quickly she got her Mastery. That might go some way towards explaining how she got that contract with St Mungo's. Why weren't the Odinsdotters considered for Harry Potter after the death of his parents, though..._

The section that dealt with Urd's family was succinct and to the point. They had been estranged from any relatives in Britain by the Statute of Secrecy. The researcher had glossed over this to a certain extent, neatly ignoring the heart ache that went along with such family divisions.

_Sadly, that isn't that uncommon a case, having families split up by the Statute, _Madam Bones thought unhappily, _it also explains why they were never considered as Harry's new guardians back in 1981._

There was one omission that puzzled the Director. Urd had mentioned that she had been chasing the records of Sirius Black's trial because of her relationship to Lily Potter. But there was no mention at all regarding any contact between the Odinsdotters and the Boy-Who-Lived following their arrival in Britain. _Then again, it isn't like they'd file paperwork with the Ministry for something that might have been as mundane as dropping by for a cup of tea...assuming they know where he lives. That's one thing that has kept the public guessing these past 8 years or so._

Amelia set the report down on her desk and rubbed her eyes. Everything pointed to Urd Odinsdotter being a genius with potions but nothing more than that.

_I'm getting paranoid. Old Mad-Eye's influence, no doubt. Still...maybe I should visit Miss Odinsdotter's new shop some time soon. Just for a chat._

* * *

><p>Belldandy hummed gently as she walked down Diagon Alley, window shopping. She was here by herself today seeking to purchase some sort of magical gift for Harry. His birthday was just a week away, and while Keiichi had already had his sister send over a brand new Nintendo Game Boy from Japan, Belldandy wanted Harry to have something that would help him identify with his magical heritage as well as his non-magical roots.<p>

So far she had inspected the apothecary (discounted as Urd had started to teach him about potions), the pet store (Belldandy had been sorely tempted by some of the kittens, but decided that Harry was not yet ready for a pet) and a joke shop (Belldandy decided that Sun Wukong did not need to be tempted). Deciding that inspiration would strike eventually, she was about to pause at the next shop window when a small disturbance ahead caught her attention.

Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Head of Gryffindor House and Professor of Transfiguration was feeling just a trifle irritable. With the school year over, she had decided to use some of her precious free time to catch up with some much needed shopping therapy in Diagon Alley. While she was hardly the most profligate of spenders, she did take some small pleasure in the process of hunting down the best bargains and then haggling for a better price.

All of which had been ruined by some inconsiderate nyaff who had decided that going for a run in front of the shop doors of Diagon Alley was a good idea. The Professor had just been leaving Scribbulus Writing Instruments when she had been all but bowled over by the lousy scunner. While she had been more stunned than hurt, the collision had scattered her recent purchases over the pavement.

Glaring in the direction that the useless bugger had taken off in, McGonagall ran through some choice insults in her head before she turned to the task of picking up her belongings. When she did so, she found a young woman standing close by with an inquisitive look on her face.

"Can I help you pick up your things?" She asked politely. McGonagall nodded, happy to see that not everybody in Diagon Alley was a complete oaf.

"Yes, thank you, I could use some help."

With two people working to collect the scattered items, it didn't take long before the Professor's shopping had been gathered and put away. Looking over at the young woman with a grateful expression, Minerva cleared her throat before speaking.

"Thank you for your kind assistance. Please allow me to treat you to lunch."

The young woman did not hesitate, and simply smiled. "That would be delightful, thank you. My name is Belldandy Odinsdotter, and you?"

"Minerva McGonagall." The older woman said simply as she extended a hand.

* * *

><p>A short distance away, Urd Odinsdotter was just thinking about opening up the packed lunch that Belldandy had provided her with (something the Norn of the Present insisted on doing every day, in spite of Urd's comment that her current profit margins allowed her to eat out at the Ritz every day without noticing the expense) when the door opened. This was accompanied by a small bell jingling, something Urd had seen in British shops on TV and had implemented in an attempt to lull customers into a sense of familiarity. When Urd looked up, she saw the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, accompanied by two witches who were obviously Aurors out of uniform.<p>

"Madam Bones! I hadn't expected you." The Norn of the Past said by way of greeting. Amelia Bones nodded in reply.

"I saw your shop as I was passing and remembered our meeting last month. I thought I'd drop in to have a bit of a chat."

_Bollocks, _Urd thought, _the Director of the DMLE does not just take a random walk down Diagon Alley with two bodyguards in tow. You came here for a reason._

"Well, welcome to my little shop. Urd's Elegant Potions offers the finest quality magical elixirs, tonics and remedies in Europe."

Madam Bones kept her face impassive as the rehearsed spiel washed over her. It was the usual type of self marketing that most traders in the Alley gave, but in this case there was a chance that the claim might be accurate.

"Delighted. I suppose you heard the news regarding that case you were trying to find?"

"Of course, I could hardly miss it," Urd said with a smirk, "it was on the front page of the _Prophet _for several days, and they're still running articles about it. I must say I was surprised by the final outcome."

"Indeed." Was the measured response. "Rest assured that such a violation of our judicial system will not happen again. Steps have been taken to prevent this kind of thing from reoccurring."

Urd's smirk changed to a smile. "I'm glad to hear it. Can I interest you in a potion?"

Amelia raised her eyebrows a fraction of an inch. "Actually, I heard from my colleagues in St Mungo's that you recently secured a contract to supply them with some medical potions. It made me curious as to how you managed this within a week of opening your shop."

"Hard work and innovation," Urd stated, "I developed new techniques that allowed for the creation of new potions as well as variants on existing brews. The one that got me the contract with St Mungo's is an almost painless version of Skele-Gro."

This comment caused Amelia's eyebrows to be raised almost fully. "Almost painless?"

"Yes, there is still some discomfort but not nearly as much as the traditional potion. I also improved the flavour a bit, though it is still unpleasant to drink." Urd explained proudly.

"I see." Amelia said a little distantly. _Evidently the Potions Mastery was well deserved. _"Speaking of Black, I was wondering if you had any contact with your family here in Britain?"

_That was a sudden change of topic, what is your game here? _"Some. There aren't that many that we know of beyond our cousin Lily and her sister. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering if you had met Lily's son, Harry." The question sounded innocent, as was the expression on Madam Bones' face. Urd knew better.

"I did meet him at Lily's sister's house briefly." _We weren't there for long, so it was brief. _"Why do you ask?"

"His exact location has been kept secret since 1981." Amelia explained. "I was curious as to where he has been since his parents were killed."

Urd pursed her lips. "Shouldn't there be records? Even if they were classified, you of all people should be able to access them."

"You're probably right," Amelia admitted, "did you say you met him at Lily's sister's house? Is that where he was being cared for?"

"I don't think so," Urd said, "I'm pretty sure he isn't there now either." _True on both counts - he wasn't being cared for at all with the Dursleys for all that he lived there, and he definitely isn't there now._

Madam Bones simply nodded as she turned to leave. "I will have to check the records to see what I can find then. Thank you for your time, Miss Odinsdotter, it has been a pleasure."

"Likewise, Madam Bones." Urd said with a knowing smile.

* * *

><p>Minerva McGonagall found herself a bit curious about her lunch companion. Here was a witch who was a cheerful, pleasant and friendly person on the surface. Underneath, however, Minerva was sure that there was something a bit deeper, as evidenced by the questions that the younger witch had been asking.<p>

The usual introductions had been exchanged, Minerva being slightly surprised to discover that her lunch companion was not a native to Britain. She had commented on the lack of any obvious accent, to which Belldandy had replied that she had visited many countries before and had lived in Japan for a while, resulting in a mish-mash of accents that tended to be imperceptible. Minerva's role as Hogwart's Professor of Transfiguration had immediately triggered a discussion of the field. Minerva found her knowledge had been taxed by the questions that Miss Belldandy Odinsdotter had posed as they waited for lunch in the Leaky Cauldron.

Their conversation had stilled for a moment as their food was delivered, both women waiting until they had the privacy of their own table before they resumed their chat.

"I must say that it is rare to meet anyone who has such insight into Transfiguration," Minerva said once they were alone again, "what did you say your Mastery was in?"

"Charms," Belldandy said as she started to eat, "I did well at Transfiguration but I was strongest in Charms."

"I must introduce you to Filius," McGonagall mused, "he is Hogwarts Professor of Charms. If our talk of Transfiguration is anything to go by, you two should get on extremely well."

"I'd be delighted to," Belldandy replied with a smile, "it is always good to speak with somebody who appreciates the field as much as I do."

The Deputy Headmistress nodded as she sampled her vegetables. Slightly over-cooked, but then again it was the Leaky Cauldron they were dining in.

"So, I have heard about Hogwarts and its House system," Belldandy said, changing the topic, "can you explain to me how it works?"

Minerva raised an eyebrow slightly as she reminded herself that in spite of appearances, the woman across the table was not a native of Britain. "Certainly. There are four houses, one for each of the founders who established the school. Gryffindor, named for Godric Gryffindor, is the house for the brave..."

McGonagall recited the same spiel she had given to hundreds of muggleborn wizards and witches over the years. It was something she had done so often that she could almost set it to music.

"...the House that has the most points at the end of the year wins the House Cup. The colours of the winning House are displayed during the Leaving Feast, and the trophy is placed in the office of the Head of House."

Belldandy looked curious. "Head of House? Who is that, and what do they do?"

"The Head of House is a member of staff who is a Hogwarts alumni and a member of said House. They are the first staff member for students of that House to go to for any trouble or concerns..."

This spiel was given less often, as most people simply took the job of "Head of House" for granted. Minerva added this to the indicators that Belldandy Odinsdotter was a lot more perceptive than the average witch.

"...currently, I am the Head of Gryffindor House. I have been for over twenty years now." Minerva took a sip of her wine as she concluded.

Belldandy looked fascinated. "So you are the Professor of Transfiguration and the Head of House for Gryffindor? That sounds like a lot of work, you must be a very busy person during the school year."

Minerva smiled briefly. "More than you might imagine, as I am also the Deputy Headmistress."

"Deputy Headmistress as well? What does that involve?" The young woman asked.

"It is mostly administrative work, providing assistance to the Headmaster. I am responsible for handling student enrolment each year, and conduct the first interview for muggleborn children. During the school year I take on some of the Headmaster's work when he is too busy with his roles as the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and the Supreme Mugwump of the ICW." Minerva explained briefly.

Belldandy nodded. "It sounds like a lot of work for one person. However do you find the time for three jobs?"

"Oh, I manage." Minerva said with a knowing grin.

* * *

><p>For Harry, Monday morning meant training with Sun Wukong. This was both exciting and daunting. On the one hand, learning real martial arts was thrilling. On the other hand, the physical effort involved and the difficulty he had in matching the skill demonstrated by his sensei was more than just a little intimidating.<p>

Sun Wukong had told Harry that he should not be comparing his own skills against those of his teacher. "I've been practicing this stuff for longer than you've been alive, Harry. I have no doubt that you'll be just as skilled if you spend as much time practicing and learning as I have. So don't be discouraged if you make what appear to be clumsy mistakes when you look at my movements, it is all part of the learning process."

Today's lesson had involved the usual exercises that helped to build up his stamina and endurance, followed by more katas. Monkey had decided that Harry had progressed with the basic katas to a point where they were now adding to them. Small variations, changes in the order, extensions...Harry was intrigued at how much a small change could change the entire flow of an exercise.

"OK, that's enough for today I think Harry. Next time we'll also look at tactics." Sun Wukong said as he ended the lesson.

"Tactics, sensei?" Harry queried.

"Yes. There's more to combat than just knowing how to fight, Harry. There's also a matter of knowing where to fight. Positioning yourself such that your opponent cannot reach you, or is at a disadvantage, placing obstacles in their path and so on. In this way you can defeat or escape your opponent more efficiently, and possibly even without having to fight at all." Sun Wukong explained.

Harry nodded before they bowed off. They returned to the house nearby, picking up Skuld from her lab on the way through. On entering, they found the house empty.

"Big sister? Are you here?" Skuld asked loudly. She was answered by silence.

"I guess she got caught up on her shopping trip," Sun Wukong mused, "never mind. I'll cook lunch today. Care to help me, Harry?"

"Sure!" Harry said happily.

* * *

><p>That afternoon, McGonagall was sitting at her desk in the small study that she maintained in her home. Something was bothering her, and she was thinking hard.<p>

It was a small niggle at the back of her mind that had started during her conversation with Miss Belldandy Odinsdotter. It was how the young woman seemed daunted by the workload that Minerva routinely undertook at Hogwarts.

She was hardly the first person to comment on the number of hats that Minerva wore at the school. But Belldandy had been the first person to ever ask the Professor just where she found the time to do everything.

It was a question she had sometimes asked of herself, particularly when the job got stressful. Now that somebody else had asked, and not in an accusatory manner...

..._I'm seriously wondering just how I do it all. The more I think about it, the more it looks like I'm trying to do two full time jobs at once._

There was also the fact that she had basically detailed all of her responsibilities during the lunchtime conversation. It was one thing to say 'oh, I'm the Professor of Transfiguration, Head of Gryffindor House and Deputy Headmistress' in passing. It was quite another to spend some time explaining what those roles actually involved.

Minerva was not used to self-doubt. With the sole exception of how she had handled her private life, she had always moved forward with confidence that she was more than capable of handling anything that life might throw in her direction. To find herself questioning her own abilities, and not having an answer immediately available, was quite unsettling.

_As a teacher, when I'm not in class I'm either preparing lesson plans or marking assignments. As Deputy Headmistress I handle enrolment and the paperwork that Albus does not have time for. As Head of Gryffindor, I..._

A thought suddenly seared its way across her consciousness like a thunderbolt.

_As Head of Gryffindor, I've done little other than welcome new students to the House each year. I'm supposed to be a surrogate parent that students can approach with any problem, up to and including being their advocate for any disputed disciplinary measures. But I haven't been doing that. I haven't been there for Gryffindor students for years._

It was a conclusion that shocked her. The sudden realisation that she had been grossly derelict in one of her duties for a long time.

_No time for recriminations. What do I do about it? Can I reorganise my time at Hogwarts to give my Lions the attention they deserve?_

Minerva quickly scribbled down a typical daily timetable of her own activities at Hogwarts. She then reviewed it to determine if anything could be taken out, or perhaps done more quickly to free up space later on in the day.

The more she looked at it, however, the less flexible it appeared.

_There's nothing here I can remove or reduce. It is all too important or too time consuming. _

Another thought slunk into her mind. It was not a pleasant one.

_That means...that I cannot do the job of being Head of Gryffindor House. I just don't have the time. There's only one solution._

McGonagall sat back from the desk and looked at where she kept her old Head Girl badge that she had earned when she had been a student.

_I'm going to have to step down as Head of Gryffindor House. The students deserve more than I can give them. _

The thought took her breath away. Being a Gryffindor had been a defining part of her character ever since she had been Sorted, the idea of suddenly resigning part of that identity, even if it was only a small part...

_Enough wool-gathering. The important thing is to pick a successor. Now who at Hogwarts is a Gryffindor alumni..._

* * *

><p>When Belldandy returned home, she discovered Sun Wukong teaching Harry basic sleight-of-hand techniques in the backyard. He was in the middle of demonstrating exactly how to vanish a coin using nothing but skill.<p>

The Monkey King was explaining. "...also helps to improve your dexterity. I'm not using any real magic here, this is a trick that relies on skill alone. Don't forget that sometimes you can achieve your objective using nothing more than a quick distraction and some quick thinking."

Harry was watching with rapt attention. He had a coin in his hands, but at the moment his fingers remained still as he watched his teacher's nimble movements.

"Hello. I'm sorry that I'm late, I got caught up in town unexpectedly." Belldandy said apologetically.

"Don't worry about it, Belldandy, sometimes we must all accept events as they happen." Sun Wukong said philosophically as he turned to the new arrival. "We managed to get along just fine without destroying anything."

"Hello Aunty!" Harry greeted enthusiastically. Somehow, just the presence of his favourite relative made the day seem better.

"It is good that you've been making good use of your time. How about you go and get the table ready for a quick magic lesson while I talk to Sun Wukong?" Belldandy suggested gently.

Harry nodded before he went inside at a brisk pace. He had never gotten into the habit of running around like other children his age thanks to the Dursleys, and now he was learning the virtues of moving quickly but with purpose from Monkey.

Once Harry was out of earshot, Belldandy turned back to Sun Wukong. "Harry's birthday is next week. Will you join us for the party?"

The Monkey King nodded. "It'll be my pleasure. Of course, I have to get a suitable gift..."

Belldandy looked slightly concerned. "Please, nothing too expensive. We want to make this a happy event without going over the top."

Sun Wukong nodded. "Don't worry. I'll get something appropriate for the occasion." With that, he bowed briefly before he left the garden. Belldandy sighed.

"I do hope he restrains himself..."

* * *

><p>Hogwarts was usually an empty place during the months of July and August. With the students absent until the new school year, the staff generally left for their own holidays in an attempt to recharge.<p>

There were a few exceptions. Rubeus Hagrid had duties at the school that were pretty much full time, as the needs of the grounds and the creatures that were resident at the ancient school never took holidays. Argus Filch tended to spend most of his time at the school, though he did occasionally take a brief trip away from the castle.

The most notable permanent resident was the current headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. This was actually not traditional at all, but for Albus the old castle was more of a home than anywhere else he knew. Of course, he spent a lot of the summer holiday out visiting friends and attending to Ministry business, but he always returned to the school as his place of residence.

Thus, when Minerva McGonagall requested a meeting at short notice with the headmaster, it was held in his office at Hogwarts. Dumbledore was quite surprised by the request. Normally Minerva did not bother him with anything that was this formal during the summer break, though it was not uncommon for the two to meet in a social context.

The Deputy Headmistress emerged from the Floo with her usual grace and greeted her old friend warmly. Albus had risen to meet his guest and the two exchanged the usual pleasantries as Minerva dusted herself off. Once they had seated themselves (and McGonagall had turned down the offer of a lemon drop), Dumbledore decided to cut to the heart of the matter.

"So, Minerva, what brings you to my office at this time of year? Not that I don't appreciate your company, but you usually have your own activities to occupy you when the students are on holiday."

Minerva nodded. She had a variety of activities that kept her occupied during Hogwarts' off-time, ranging from academic conferences through to sight-seeing trips around the globe. "Actually, Albus, I have an important school administrative task that needs to be addressed now. I require your assistance in this."

Albus' eyebrows went up an inch. He hadn't been aware of any major issues regarding the administration of Hogwarts. "You have my support, naturally. What is it that requires our joint attention?"

McGonagall visibly hesitated, before she closed her eyes. A look of pain crossed her face. "I am standing down as Head of Gryffindor House."

Dumbledore sat back in his chair heavily. This was the last thing he had expected. "May I ask why?"

Minerva looked down. "I recently evaluated how I spend my time at Hogwarts. As you know, I have been juggling three positions for some time now. I have never resented the work, in fact I have been proud to be considered worthy of the roles I have been filling. But there was one thing I never considered..." She trailed off.

The Headmaster looked concerned. "What is it, Minerva?"

"I don't have the time for three jobs at once." The Transfiguration Professor stated. "I know that the Head of House role is intended to be carried out by a teaching member of staff, and that the workload is tailored to suit. Likewise the Deputy Headmistress role is meant to be an additional responsibility for a teacher here at Hogwarts. The issue is that combining the two roles with a teaching position is too much for one person - I worked out just how much is involved, and the three jobs between them count as two full time positions."

Albus nodded slowly as he thought about the concern that his friend had raised. _I never thought about it that way. It really is too much for just one person, there just aren't enough hours in the day. I wonder why this never occurred to me before...of course. I've been too busy fighting Dark Lords and incompetent Ministry bureaucrats to be able to keep track of everything that happens here. I was depending on my staff to inform me of when things needed attention, rather than being pro-active and fixing problems that they might be too busy to notice._

The Supreme Mugwump sighed internally. _Once again, I've had my eye off the ball. I need to think about this._

"Very well, Minerva. As much as I hate to see you step down from this role, I can understand your motivation. It is traditional for the retiring Head of House to recommend their successor - have you thought about who you would like to be the new Head of Gryffindor House?"

Minerva nodded. "Yes, it was the first thing I considered after I decided to step down. I recommend that Aurora Sinistra be appointed to be the new Head of Gryffindor House."

Albus paused for a moment. "I had forgotten that Aurora had been in Gryffindor. Class of 1975, I believe. Are you sure that she will be able to discharge the duties of the Head of House? As the Professor of Astronomy, she does work at night."

Minerva sighed. "Most of her teaching is done during the day, as the theory component is purely a classroom exercise. She is already available during daylight hours for students to consult with, so being Head of House will not deprive of her any more sleep than she's already losing."

"Very well. I will invite Professor Sinistra here for afternoon tea. Is tomorrow too soon for you?" The aged Headmaster asked.

Minerva pursed her lips. "The sooner the better. I will make myself available."

"Excellent. Once Aurora accepts - and I'm sure she will - we will notify the Board of Governors." Dumbledore concluded. He had the power to appoint Heads of House without outside interference, though it was considered customary to have the approval of the retiring Head. Thus he could make this appointment without having to worry about the usual moans and belly-aching from the Board.

"I will see you tomorrow, then. Goodbye for now, Albus." Minerva said as she stood up. Albus stood up as well in order to properly farewell her.

"I look forward to it. You have been an excellent Head of Gryffindor House, Minerva, I have no doubt that the students of that House will miss you."

It was a blatant lie and they both knew it. McGonagall would not be stepping down if she had been doing a decent job as Head of Gryffindor. Still, protocol demanded that some things had to be said...regardless of the truth of the matter.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes:<strong> Bloody hell, this took a long time. I had a minor case of writer's block.

Regarding Minerva McGonagall as the Head of House Gryffindor - there is an excellent story by Clell65619 called "The Board". It is a pretty thorough demolition of Minerva McGonagall and Filius Flitwick as they appear in canon. While I'm not sure I agree with all of Clell's thoughts on the matter, I do think that Minerva was a non-event as a Head of House.

As for Aurora Sinistra - I am expecting a lot of people to start saying "but she's a Slytherin!". To which my answer is: show me where Aurora's house affiliation was specified in canon. Because as far as I know, Aurora was a character who mostly appeared as part of the background (I don't think she got any dialogue). Making her a Gryffindor alumni is not violating canon.

I have thrashed out a bit of a family tree for Aurora. It may make an appearance in future chapters.

Many thanks to Bil for proof-reading this rot. Also thanks to the other denizens of Caer Azkaban for their help in checking canon and providing me with background information on life in the UK.

Next time: Harry's 9th birthday. Which means I'll only have another two years to write before he gets his acceptance letter...joy.


	11. Chapter 11: Birthday Boy

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter or Oh My Goddess.

* * *

><p>Professor Aurora Sinistra strode through the gates of Hogwarts with a puzzled expression on her face. She had been summoned by the Headmaster to meet with him at her earliest convenience. Well, the language had been a bit more diplomatic and polite, but the message had been clear: see me as soon as possible.<p>

She was now wondering just what had happened that the Headmaster had made such a blatant intrusion into her personal time. Normally Dumbledore did his level best to avoid bothering his staff during the summer holiday period, with only the Deputy Headmistress making the occasional visit to work on the enrolment for the upcoming school year. Not even the House Heads were disturbed, any issues that required their attention were usually dealt with in the week leading up to the start of term when staff were expected to be back at work anyway.

On entering the school, Aurora was greeted by Minerva McGonagall. _Just what crisis has the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress dragging in staff members at this time of year?_

"Hello Aurora, how are you?" Minerva said as she came up to her younger colleague.

"Hello Minerva, I trust you have been keeping well." The Professor of Astronomy replied.

Minerva just nodded. "Allow me to present apologies from both myself and Albus for disturbing your break, but an issue has come up that must be handled immediately. Albus is waiting for us in his office, shall we join him?"

"Of course," Aurora agreed, "though you've got me curious as to what has happened that requires my attention. I do hope that my tower hasn't been damaged."

The Astronomy Tower was customarily the personal fiefdom of the serving Professor of Astronomy, a tradition that dated back to the time of the Founders. The living quarters for the Astronomy Professor were located in the base of the tower (a design idea that Sinistra was profoundly grateful for, as it reduced the breakfast commute time) and the classrooms were generally not assigned to non-Astronomy classes without the Professor being consulted.

Of course, this was all custom. Previous Headmasters had run rough-shod all over traditions like that.

"No, there is nothing wrong with the Astronomy Tower that we know of. Unless you have anything you'd like to raise with us?" Dumbledore said genially.

"Apart from my standing request for better equipment?" Aurora said with a raised eyebrow. It was no secret that she had been asking for 'a decent telescope' ever since she had started teaching at Hogwarts.

"Sadly, that desire will have to remain unfulfilled for the foreseeable future," Dumbledore said gently. In truth he supported the idea of improving the Astronomy course at Hogwarts with the best equipment available, but that would mean buying muggle equipment...something the Board of Governors refused to even consider.

"Actually, we asked you to meet with us to discuss an important change to the staffing at Hogwarts." Minerva said in a calm tone that belied her somewhat nervous countenance.

Aurora raised an eyebrow. "I take it that this change will affect me?"

"Yes," Minerva said before she suddenly broke off and glanced at Dumbledore. The old Headmaster just nodded. "To put it bluntly, I am stepping down as Head of Gryffindor House. I have recommended that you be instated as my replacement."

The Professor of Astronomy blinked. Then she blinked again. "What in Merlin's name brought this on?"

McGonagall sighed. "Recent events have caused me to indulge in some self-examination. I realised that in my effort to juggle three separate jobs here at Hogwarts, I had badly neglected my role as Head of House. I simply do not have enough hours in the day to be able to adequately discharge the duties of that role in addition to my teaching role and my responsibilities as Deputy Headmistress. The students of Gryffindor deserve a lot more than I can possibly give them, and as such I have stood down from the position."

Sinistra nodded slowly. It made sense, even if nobody had ever seemed to notice that the Head of Gryffindor House had not been doing an adequate job. _Patently obvious in hindsight._

"I take it that this meeting is to offer me the job? What makes you think that I am the best person for the role?" The youngest Professor in the room asked.

"You're a Gryffindor alumna, for one." Minerva started. "And you're generally well liked by the students in your classes for another. Plus Astronomy is one of the best run courses in the school, so you certainly know how to manage paperwork."

Sinistra nodded again. "You do realise that if I am to take on this job, I will be doing my utmost for the students in my care. I will not allow any prejudice against me or my students get in the way of advocating the interests of Gryffindor students."

Albus let the comment about prejudice slide. He knew extremely well what Aurora was talking about - she was very obviously of African descent and had faced a lot of blatant racism in her life. _In some ways she's a stronger person than I am._

"I would expect no less of you, Aurora. Your devotion to your work has been a defining characteristic ever since you were a student here." Minerva said in response.

Sinistra paused while she considered her options. _Maybe this will give me the leverage to get myself a decent telescope...I can but hope. Not to mention the fact that the students need somebody to support them, I cannot fail them due to a lack of courage._

Finally, she looked Dumbledore in the eye. "I accept. Thank you for this opportunity."

Dumbledore's smile was the first genuine one that he'd had in weeks. "Congratulations, Professor Sinistra."

* * *

><p>Amelia Bones paused as she entered the dark and dusty room that was one of the Ministry's many archives. Unfortunately the Ministry had no central archive for the paperwork generated by the day to day activities of the magical world, as each department and group ran its own. This made cross-referencing almost impossible, and forced many hours of patient back-tracking across multiple floors to find out exactly where any given document was stored.<p>

Naturally, things got lost. More than one Minister had attempted to bring order to the disorganised mess that was the filing system of the Ministry, but every one of them had given up when confronted with the sheer scale of the problem as well as a bureaucracy that was fiercely resistant to change.

Still, Amelia felt that she was on the right track with this one. The magical Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages was the best place to go to find out about adoptions and guardianship files, if only because every other Ministry department that might have had an interest in the area had neatly side-stepped the responsibility.

No, her hesitation was caused by memories of the last archives room that she had personally visited - the one that had ultimately caused the largest shake-up in the Ministry since the fall of You-Know-Who when it was discovered that one Sirius Black had fallen through every loophole known to bureaucracy. The repercussions would likely be felt for at least another year if not more, especially considering that the present Minister's position was looking less secure every day.

_It is amazing just how many old problems can emerge from the woodwork once there is a hint of scandal in the air, _the Director of the DMLE thought to herself as she started to walk down what seemed to be miles of shelving.

As she reached the P section, she slowed down as she thought about James and Lily Potter. In truth, she hadn't really known them that well. They had not been at Hogwarts together, and their paths had not really crossed once the Potters had graduated. Her main source of information regarding the famous parents came from the never-ending series of myths and stories regarding the Boy-Who-Lived.

_Which is a pretty poor source of information. Maybe I can get a better idea of their character once Sirius Black is deemed healthy enough for visitors._

She finally reached the section that would contain any and all paperwork pertinent to Harry James Potter. As Amelia began to work her way through the files, however, some old charms began to get involved.

Albus Dumbledore had originally cast two charms that acted in two ways to keep the files of Harry Potter out of sight. The first was a simple charm that meant that most people would simply not notice the file as they were sorting their way through the paperwork. It was low-powered and would not work on anybody who was absolutely determined to find the paperwork of the Boy-Who-Lived, but it was sufficient to keep most people from ever noticing the name "Harry James Potter" to begin with.

The other charm was more powerful and direct. It would detect the intent of anybody who was actively searching for the file of Harry Potter and forcibly redirect them. Anybody affected by this charm would find themselves suddenly unconcerned with their search and would remember other more critical tasks to get around to doing. This particular charm was very strong - Dumbledore had cast it with the Elder Wand and had put as much power as he could into it. To avoid attracting attention he had been forced to layer an intricate set of additional charms that disguised the fact that the Harry Potter file had an incredibly strong set of wards on them.

When Urd had submitted the paperwork that transferred the guardianship of Harry Potter to Belldandy Odinsdotter, she had taken the opportunity to modify Dumbledore's magic to suit her own purposes. The result was a ward scheme that was practically invisible to all but the best curse-breakers. Furthermore, the original effects had been enhanced, as Amelia was unwittingly about to discover.

When the magic cast on Harry Potter's files detected a serious intent to find them, the wards took action by diverting the attention of the searcher to another task. Amelia Bones stopped her search suddenly as she remembered an important line of investigation regarding the original Sirius Black arrest. With the searcher now distracted, the wards then suppressed any memory of the Harry Potter files.

The net result was that Amelia Bones left the archives with a new determination to find out why the Black Family had never looked into Sirius' incarceration. Before she had even left the room, however, she had almost completely forgotten any interest she had ever had in the present whereabouts of the Boy-Who-Lived.

* * *

><p>In a private room at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, the Black Family heir apparent was getting a little restless.<p>

He knew that he was being more than just a little unreasonable. He had a good room with a window to the outside world, the food was decent, the care was excellent and he was making good progress with his recovery. Or so he was told.

To sweeten the deal, the Ministry was paying for it all. That made Sirius' inner-Marauder gleeful, though so far attempts to order 100-year-old fire whiskey had been thwarted.

In spite of all this, Sirius Black was not content. For starters, he was tired of seeing the same old healers every day. He wanted visitors, dammit, but every time he asked about it he was told that he hadn't recovered enough to receive visitors yet.

He had, however, been allowed to start writing letters. So far he had made contact with several old girlfriends (all now married, mores the pity), Andromeda Tonks, Hagrid (tracking down his old bike) and his solicitor.

His correspondence with these parties had done a lot to keep him distracted, but there were some worrying aspects. Letters sent to Remus Lupin had gone unanswered, for all that he had been assured by Hagrid that the Marauder remained alive. Sirius was rather concerned about this, not knowing how 8 years of living without the support of his school friends would have changed the werewolf. Unfortunately there was nothing he could do from hospital, which left him worrying about the issue with no way of resolving it.

The other concern was the correspondence he had exchanged with Dumbledore. Initially it had gone well, with the old Headmaster apologising unreservedly about Sirius' incarceration and promising to aid the ex-prisoner once he was well enough to receive guests. What had not been discussed, for all that Sirius asked about it at least once in every letter, was the status of Harry Potter.

Staying in hospital had given Sirius time to reflect, and the more he thought about that Halloween in 1981 the guiltier he felt about his own actions. His first priority should have been to secure Harry Potter and make sure he was safe - he had seen Hagrid at the ruined cottage, but the Groundskeeper was not an adequate guardian on his own thanks to his lack of a wand. Sirius was now convinced that he should have accompanied Hagrid to Dumbledore and thrown himself on the Supreme Mugwump's mercy. Then he could have pursued Pettigrew without the stigma of being the man who betrayed the Potters, and with the full assistance of whatever resources Dumbledore had at his disposal.

That course of action would probably have meant that Sirius would not have spent 8 years in prison. Furthermore, it would have gone a long way towards discharging his duties as Harry's godfather in a more complete fashion.

He knew from the few things Hagrid had discussed in his letters that Harry had been left in Dumbledore's care. Beyond that, however, Sirius could get no information. Dumbledore would only unbend so far as to say that Harry was "safe" and "well". The Headmaster simply refused to divulge anything beyond that.

Naturally, Sirius was not impressed with the vague answers he had received. With no real way of following things up, his frustration was constant. He resolved to get answers to his most vexing concerns - Remus Lupin and Harry Potter - the minute he was allowed out of hospital.

In the mean time, lunch was due. Today would see it served by that cute and curvy nurse with the sexy French accent. Sirius had been working on the girl for several weeks, and was hoping that he could get through to her soon.

8 years is a _long _time in prison.

* * *

><p>Dawn on Monday the 31st of July of the year 1989 came to find Harry Potter still asleep. After a month with his new family, Harry had finally managed to at least start to lose the habit of rising early that had been beaten into him by his aunt and uncle. This was helped by the fact that his new bed was a lot more comfortable and warm than the thin mattress with frayed blankets that had been his to enjoy in the cupboard under the stairs. It also helped that he was now eating enough food for his growing body, whereas the Dursleys had often sent him to bed hungry. Empty stomachs are not conducive to a good night's sleep.<p>

For Harry, today was just like any other. Which was actually a pretty nice prospect to look forwards to these days, especially as Mondays would see him engaged in self-defence training with Monkey. This had become something Harry looked forwards to with eager anticipation, as Monkey had found a good balance of challenge and reward that kept Harry motivated through-out his lessons.

It also helped that Harry liked the idea of learning how to fight like some of the action heroes he'd caught glimpses of on the Dursleys' TV through a cracked open cupboard door.

With happy thoughts of what the morning's training session might hold, Harry quickly saw to his morning ablutions before donning a dressing gown and heading downstairs in search of breakfast.

Upon entering the kitchen, he was greeted by Belldandy walking over and enveloping him in a warm hug.

"Good morning, Harry, and happy birthday!" She said as she released him to look at his face. "We've got some things planned for the day, so eat well - you'll need the energy."

Harry was mildly stunned. His birthday had never been celebrated when he was with the Dursleys. Most of the time it passed without any comment at all, apart from the occasional muttered comment about 'one year closer to getting rid of the freak'. Because it had never been a happy event before, he had not really expected much today.

"Thank you." He said softly, before he moved to the dining room where he saw food waiting for him. This would be an interesting experience.

* * *

><p>For Dumbledore, the last day of July was one that he was keenly aware of. It had been that way ever since he had heard Trelawney's Prophecy all those years earlier. The 31st of July was a day that marked the beginning of the end for Voldemort, the first time in ten years that the Magical World had some hope of avoiding a dark future.<p>

Ever since that dreadful Halloween in 1981, the day had held special significance for the old Headmaster, even more than it had when he had first heard the Prophecy. For Albus, every end of July marked another year closer to Harry finally finishing the Dark Lord off for good. Dumbledore was in no doubt as to the final outcome, and had patience enough to play the long game without pointless worry.

On this day, however, Albus retired to his office at Hogwarts with a decidedly melancholy attitude. Today of all days drove home the fact that he had made a right mess of things in 1981. Harry and his relatives left in the grip of Blood Wards he didn't fully understand. Sirius Black left to the tender mercies of Dementors, torturing an innocent man. Indulging in hindsight had made him realised that he could have been handled several issues a lot better - the Death Eater trials that saw too many walk free, the fiasco that had been Magical Britain's handling of its foreign affairs in the light of so many foreign wizards fighting for Voldemort...at the time Dumbledore had not used the full force of his power and influence out of fear that he might be perceived as trying to take the reins of government entirely for himself.

Now he knew that by taking a step back and allowing events to run their course, he had squandered several golden opportunities that could have improved society as a whole. Instead he had been complacent, putting all of his eggs into one basket by trusting in the Prophecy he held as an ultimate trump card.

"Now the owls are coming home to roost, and I've had my eyes opened to my own failings." He murmured as he glanced at the front cover of the _Daily Prophet, _which had a lurid headline regarding the latest fall-out from the "Black Scandal". "I must do better in the future. I cannot afford to make mistakes like those again - if Harry is to have any chance of vanquishing Voldemort, he will need me at the top of my game."

He sighed as he poured himself a small measure of Fire Whiskey in a glass. Sipping gently, he looked at the portraits hanging on the walls of his office. The former Head Masters and Mistresses all appeared to be asleep.

"I wonder if any of you had as many regrets as I do now when you passed on. I wonder how you would have handled my responsibilities had you been in my place." He mused to himself.

"I'm sorry, Harry. And Sirius. Neither of you deserved what my negligence brought about. All I can hope for now is that you can find it within yourselves to forgive an old man his failings. The future of our world depends on it."

* * *

><p>Harry's birthday party had been carefully planned out in advance by Belldandy and Urd. They had wanted a happy occasion, but were mindful that Harry still carried scars (both physical and mental) from his time with the Dursleys. This meant that the party had to be managed such that it never overwhelmed the birthday boy, starting off gently with Belldandy's simple greeting and building up through the day.<p>

To that end, there were no invited guests beyond Sun Wukong. Belldandy had received offers of assistance from Peorth and Lind but had gracefully declined, stating that she wished Harry to have a fairly relaxed celebration. She also made it clear that Harry was not going to receive birthday gifts from people he didn't know, as it would only confuse things.

Nobody commented about how Belldandy had not mentioned Christmas gifts. Such an omission was certainly not a slip-up.

After a leisurely breakfast in which it was made clear that Harry was to not get involved in any of the "work" involved, Harry had joined Keiichi and Skuld in playing a few racing games on the Sega while Urd helped Belldandy clean up the kitchen.

After some time to digest, the entire family went for a bicycle ride through the local area. The pace was set by Harry, and in theory the course was as well...subject to "suggestions" from Belldandy. The route ultimately included stopping for ice-cream on the way (much to Skuld's enjoyment), before they eventually made their way back home for lunch.

There they found Sun Wukong waiting for them, surprising everybody by having lunch ready and waiting for them. Harry did not notice the suspicious glances that Urd and Skuld had sent in Monkey's direction, glances that the Monkey King took in his stride.

Lunch was, in spite of Sun Wukong's presence, a relaxed and happy affair. Once it was over, Belldandy caught everybody's attention by bringing in an item wrapped in colourful paper.

"Happy Birthday, Harry. I hope you have fun with this." She said warmly as she handed the oddly shaped object over.

Harry blinked as he looked at the present he had received. He had no memory of getting birthday presents before. Working hard to hold back tears, he gleefully started to gently pick at the sticky-tape that was holding the wrapping on.

"Just rip it off, Harry. That's the whole point of wrapping paper." Urd said with a grin. Harry grinned back and followed her suggestion, delighting in the noise made by the destruction of the present's wrapping.

The gift proved to be a large box that had a picture of people in odd costumes flying around on brooms. In large, brightly coloured text was a label saying "Quidditch: The Tabletop Game". He looked at Belldandy quizzically.

"Quidditch is a game played on brooms, Harry. This is a board game version that uses magically animated dolls on brooms to represent the players. It is a good way to learn about part of the magical society that you are a member of." Belldandy explained.

Urd kept her smile fixed to her face as Harry gushed out his thanks. The gift had been a major challenge, as the developer had never been able to get it to work properly due to the problems of having two people control 14 players in the game. Ultimately the project had been abandoned, with the few sets produced being sold for anyone who wanted to try and get them to work.

Belldandy had bought it without realising the problems. It had taken hours of patient spell-crafting on the part of Urd and Belldandy to get the game to work, and the net outcome was that the player "dolls" were now imbued with magical intelligence that was borderline sentient.

Skuld was next to hand over a present. This one had wrapping paper decorated with cartoonish pictures of computers. Urd was not surprised when the contents were revealed to be a stylish looking laptop computer.

"I built this one myself, Harry. A lot of modern technology doesn't work in places that have a lot of magic, so I made this one resistant to it. It should work anywhere! Plus it is a lot better than any computer you can get on the market." Skuld explained excitedly.

Harry was effusive in his thanks. Computers were something that he'd only really seen on television until then.

"My turn, Harry. I'm afraid this isn't as exciting as the presents from my sisters, but it will be useful in the future." Urd announced as she handed over a wooden container about the size of a bread box. Harry looked puzzled as he opened it, discovering that it folded out a bit like a fisherman's tackle box. It was confusing, as the trays that folded out looked to be too large to have fitted inside the original container.

"That's a complete potions kit, designed by myself. It includes a few books on the art of potion-making that I've added notes to. I'll start your potions lessons in the next week, Harry, so if you can find some time to read some of "Beginner's Guide to Potions" it'll help a lot." Urd said. She didn't mention that half of the books contained in the kit had been written by herself under pseudonyms.

"My gift is similar," Keiichi said as he carefully set a wrapped package next to Harry. "You'll need this for your bike once we get it working."

Inside the wrapping paper, Harry found a large metal toolbox. He looked up questioningly.

"That's a starter set of Snap-On tools. It includes imperial and metric, as you'll find both in this country. That's just the start though, Harry, as you go through life you'll find that your set of tools will grow." Keiichi explained.

Harry examined the tools with interest. From the size of the toolbox, he guessed that he would need help to lift it. He thanked Keiichi and Urd, surprising them both by adding hugs.

"Another practical gift from me, Harry. I trust it will give you good service." Sun Wukong said as he presented Harry with a long, thin object wrapped in monkey-themed paper.

Inside, Harry discovered a remarkably plain looking wooden pole roughly 50 inches long. He looked from it to his sensei.

"That is a jō, Harry. It is used in some martial arts. That one has a number of magical charms on it, which I will explain to you as I teach you how to use it. Never forget that while you have magic to defend yourself, sometimes a piece of wood like that can be just as effective in resolving a tricky situation."

Harry bowed briefly as he reflected on the quick lesson his instructor had just handed out. Then he looked at the presents he had received, unable to stop his grin from re-appearing.

"Thanks, all of you. Thank you so much!" He said with great enthusiasm. He received a room full of smiles in response.

* * *

><p>In a small manor in the Scottish Highlands, Minerva McGonagall was finishing off the last of the paperwork that related to the appointment of a new Head of House. In all, she estimated that it had taken over 40 feet of parchment from start to finish.<p>

In hindsight, it was not a surprise. Minerva was the first Head of House in the history of Hogwarts to have resigned from her position without either retiring outright or moving on to become the new Headmaster (or mistress). Of course, nobody had ever appointed a Head of House to be the Deputy Headmaster/mistress before either - that role was usually assigned to a senior member of staff who was not an existing Head of House. Minerva's experience was proof that this tradition had been thoroughly merited.

McGonagall glanced to one side, where she had left a small pamphlet that she had prepared with assistance from Xeno Lovegood. It was a short guide on how to best handle the role of a Head of House, and had input from other former Heads such as Horace Slughorn. In Minerva's case a lot of the advice she had was "do it this way, just like I didn't but should have in hindsight" but she hoped that it would be helpful.

Aurora would be the first recipient, but Minerva hoped that the guide (or a successor) would one day be standard issue for any person starting in the role of a Head of House. Unfortunately there had been no such help for Minerva when she had taken on the role, her introduction to the job being a brief conversation with the departing Gryffindor Head.

_I just wonder how Aurora will get along with Severus. _Minerva thought to herself as she tidied up the loose sheets of parchment on her desk. _He has not had the smoothest relationship with the other Heads of House since he took on the job, and his dislike of Gryffindor is well known. Aurora is not the type to surrender to intimidation, however, unlike Pomona who hates to offend anyone and Filius who is too easy going to get into confrontations._

Standing, Minerva stretched to ease the kinks in her neck and spine.

_This year should be interesting. I just hope it doesn't turn nasty._

* * *

><p>Harry's party had finally wound down, and the birthday boy was in bed after he had conked out early thanks to the day's excitement. The tabletop Quidditch game had been a great success, with several games being played before Sun Wukong succeeded in having the Seekers chase the Snitch right around the entire house. After that Harry and Keiichi had retired to the garage to try and finish off the mini-bike before everybody assembled for dinner.<p>

Now the adults were cleaning up, trying to keep things quiet in order to avoid waking Harry. Keiichi was in the process of folding up the table cloth when Skuld paused to ask him a question.

"Keiichi, when are we going to get Welsper? We've been here for months already."

Keiichi winced, and then looked sheepish.

"I made a mistake, Skuld. I thought the quarantine period was six weeks. On that basis we'd already have him here. Turns out the period is six months, which means we won't see him until the end of November at the earliest."

Skuld blinked. "So he's stuck there until December?" Keiichi nodded.

"Yes. It can't be very pleasant for him, there isn't much for him to do all day."

Urd had been listening in, and chose this moment to break into the conversation.

"Couldn't have happened to a nicer cat, in my opinion..." She said with an evil grin.

* * *

><p>Miles away at Heathrow, a certain black and white cat was hunched up in a cage.<p>

"Somebody will pay dearly for this."

* * *

><p>Upstairs in his bedroom, Harry was curled up in bed with a content smile. Today had been the best day that he could remember. At last he had a family who loved him.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note<strong>s: Those who keep up to date with the _Oh My Goddess_ manga are probably aware of the massive bomb that chapter 285 dropped on fans. I won't spoil it for anybody who hasn't read it yet, but the short version is that a major revelation was made that casts serious doubts over the character of one of the main protagonists.

I'm currently waiting to see how this plays out in future chapters of the manga. Until the situation becomes clear, I'm going to ignore chapter 285 when it comes to writing this story.

A couple of reviewers pointed out that punishing the Dursleys for their treatment of Harry was not entirely just in light of the fact that the Blood Wards were twisting their behaviour. My response is that Harry's stay at Privet Drive started badly and then got worse - that is, the Dursleys were already nasty before the Blood Wards started to work on them.

I glossed over the account of Harry's life with the Dursleys because I didn't relish the prospect of writing about a lot of child abuse. For the record, however, I will state that the first thing the Dursleys did upon finding Harry on their doorstep was shove him into the closet that would be his permanent bedroom while he was at Privet Drive. After that they did the bare minimum required to avoid having the police come around to investigate the corpse.

What the Blood Wards did was turn child _neglect _into child _abuse_. Both are thoroughly reprehensible and can involve prison time if caught.

Regarding Harry's birthday - no surprise party here. Too cliché by far, plus Harry is still a bit skittish at this point so Belldandy is taking it slowly.

Skuld's laptop - yes, it is way more advanced than was actually available in 1989. Skuld is, as usual, ahead of the game. By about 20 years. Harry's laptop is on a level that won't be matched by the rest of the world until 2009.

Welsper - _mea_ _culpa. _I goofed here. I didn't realise that the quarantine period for cats in the 1980s was six months (I thought it was more on the order of 3 months). So that's why he's been out of the picture since chapter 1.

Peorth and Lind - for those unfamiliar with OMG, these are two goddesses who have had extensive interaction with Keiichi & Co. Peorth has a French accent (real or affected is unknown) while Lind is a Valkyrie from Asgard's Special Operations department. Anger her and you'll regret it for a _long _time, as death won't free you from what she can do.


	12. Chapter 12: Planning Ahead

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter or Oh My Goddess.

* * *

><p>Urd leaned on the counter of her shop as the main door closed with a tinkling of the bell fixed to it. For a shop started by a complete stranger in a somewhat small community, <em>Urd's<em> _Elegant Potions _was doing very well for itself. Part of that was due to the contract Urd had secured with St Mungo's, which had been followed in short order by a DMLE contract. That had raised the public profile of Urd's skills in brewing significantly, and had led to further contracts with several of the more prominent Quidditch teams. While most teams employed their own potions experts, Urd had managed to offer the right combination of quality, volume and cost to make a contract with her shop the more lucrative offer.

Of course, all this added up to a busy shop. Which in turn mean that Urd had very little spare time, particularly now that she had started teaching Harry the basics of the art of potions.

_He's doing fairly well at it too, _Urd thought reflectively, _he has the patience to take it carefully and knows how to follow instructions properly. All in all a good start for now, but we'll have to find some way of encouraging his creativity at some point._

Urd had discussed this with Belldandy, who had raised the topic with the headmistress of the school Harry was due to start with in September. The staff were now aware of Harry's history with the Dursleys (though no names had been mentioned) and appropriate counselling was being arranged. Belldandy hoped that getting Harry involved in arts and music might help him learn to be more open with his own thoughts and feelings.

_I'm no expert in raising children, _Urd thought, _so I'll defer to Bell's views on this. Still, we've got to get him settled and happy at the school quickly, as we __do __have the wedding coming up..._

Getting the wedding organised was proving to be a challenge and a half, as it was going to take place in Japan in order to allow Keiichi's family and friends to attend. Of course, organising a wedding across the globe like that was just a little tricky. Ultimately Keiichi had delegated most of the responsibility to running the event to his mother, who had in turn delegated some authority to Keiichi's sister Megumi.

_With strict orders to keep the Motor Club out of the organising part of things. Father only knows what that lot of lunatics might come up with... _Urd considered with a wry grin.

The bell rang again to announce a new visitor, causing Urd to look up. She smiled broadly as she saw Belldandy in the doorway, holding a wrapped box.

"Urd dear, you forgot your lunch again! You must be more mindful of these things." The goddess greeted her elder sister.

Urd rolled her eyes. "You didn't walk here again, did you? You do realise that my shop is connected to the Floo network, as is our house?"

Belldandy walked over and set the boxed lunch on the counter. "It was no bother, I enjoyed getting out in the sunshine. Have you had a busy morning?"

Urd nodded. "Yes, apparently getting named as the chief potion supplier for the Holyhead Harpies has made me the place to go for women wanting quality potions. I've been flat out all morning."

"Well, it is a sign that they recognise your talent. Plus it is good that you have a successful shop." Belldandy said gently.

Urd nodded again. Her shop was her ticket into Britain's magical society; a mechanism by which she could establish herself as a person everybody either knew or knew of. It was important that she could do this before it became known that she was also one of the guardians for a certain Harry James Potter.

_Of course, by that stage my reputation as a master potion brewer will be eclipsed by Harry's status, but at least I will already be well known. I won't be thrust into the spotlight as "guardian of the Boy-Who-Lived" from total obscurity, this way I'll have some public image already. Politics is all about image, after all, and this shop will get me a lot of influence with the right people._

The door opened again, attracting the attention of both sisters. They saw a blonde woman perusing the shelves of finished potions, a look of concentration on her face.

Keeping half an eye on the potential customer, Urd turned back to Belldandy. "Have you finished sorting out the wedding arrangements with our side of the family?"

Belldandy blushed. "Yes. Father has not committed one way or the other as yet, and I suspect he will keep us in suspense until the day itself. Mother has already said that she will be there, and Peorth has agreed to be one of the maids of honour."

Urd suppressed a cough at that announcement. _Maid of honour? Peorth? She hardly qualifies as a "maid" anymore, but there you go._

"I doubt that anyone from my mother's side of things will attend," Urd said blandly, "but you can bet that she'll turn up at some point. Better have a plan ready for that."

Belldandy looked curious. "She wouldn't try to upset anything, would she?"

Urd sighed. "No, but you know what she's like. She'll create chaos and mayhem just by turning up. She has the knack to do it without even trying."

Belldandy looked pensive for a moment, and was about to say something when she was interrupted by the other occupant of the shop who had evidently given up on trying to find things herself.

"Excuse me, dear, can you help me with a few items? I've asked everywhere else and they haven't been at all helpful, I know you sell potions but perhaps you can assist me with these?" The woman said as she offered a large piece of parchment. Urd took it, and sighed internally as she saw that "a few items" took up most of the sheet.

"Sure. I don't keep ingredients on display, so come out the back. Belldandy, can you please watch the shop for me?"

Belldandy nodded, as Urd escorted her customer out to where she kept her ingredients. The Norn of the Present decided to take the opportunity to clean up a bit, while Urd was careful to keep her shop presentable for the passing trade, there were some corners that only Belldandy ever seemed capable of dusting properly.

Behind the calm exterior, Belldandy was actually enduring the most stress she had faced since Keiichi's wish had been granted. She was juggling a lot of balls simultaneously - looking after Harry, who in spite of his good progress was still a very fragile person. Then she had her relationship with Keiichi, of which the wish contract was now the least of it all. Doing her part to help organise the wedding had added to her workload, on top of running the household, liaising with the architect and construction company for the renovations on the church, keeping a lid on Urd and Skuld's abrasive relationship...

Frankly, she should have been a nervous wreck. But First class goddesses are not given the power just through passing exams. She could handle this, and more. It didn't alter the fact that she had precious little spare time these days. And she was certainly looking forward to the respite that the return trip to Japan for the wedding offered, even if the wedding itself would add a whole new array of problems and issues.

Finally Urd emerged with a happy looking customer, who quickly paid and scurried from the store. Belldandy looked at her sister questioningly.

Urd caught the hint and explained. "She's a spell researcher, and needs a lot of things raw that other shops will only sell processed. Plus she wanted some stuff that normally isn't available in Britain."

"Oh? Such as?" Belldandy asked, curious.

Urd grinned. "Little things, like the extract of mango tree root. Or 3-toed sloth fur. Nothing you can't actually find if you go hunting in shops overseas, but all unavailable here in Britain."

Belldandy looked thoughtful. "Would there be a market in selling just those ingredients?"

Urd shook her head. "No. I'd have to shift to a wholesale market, which would cut me off from the contacts we need. It was strange, though..."

"Yes?" Belldandy asked.

"She wanted two hundred-weight of powdered horn of Crumple-Horned Snorcack. That stuff is useless for anything except acting as a magical sponge, soaking up stray magical energy. Usually putting that stuff in potions kills the magical properties of it. I only keep it around to help clean up any spills."

Belldandy considered it. "Could she use it to help dampen the side-effects of some of the spells she is researching?"

Urd paused as she thought it over. "I suppose so. Treated properly, it could act like a lightning rod, absorbing any out of control magic safely."

Belldandy looked thoughtful as she looked back at the door of the shop. She was just about to make her farewells when Urd spoke up again.

"So, Bell, what's the latest on your wedding plans? Traditional Japanese or something else?"

Belldandy turned back to her sister with a small smile. "Keiichi said that I should plan the wedding I want, as he has no particular ideas as to how the event should go. So I've decided on a traditional wedding."

"What the locals would consider Scandinavian then." Urd said knowingly. "Which will also help with our cover story here." She added with a wink.

Belldandy developed a small blush to go with her smile. "The thought did cross my mind. But I think everybody will be happier this way."

"That's the important bit, Bell." Urd agreed.

"Megumi says that she's found a venue big enough, as the temple just doesn't have the space for all of our friends, family and guests." Belldandy continued, "she's organising caterers now as they tend to be busy over the Christmas and New Year period."

"How about our travel arrangements?" Urd queried.

"We are booked to fly out on the 22nd of December." Belldandy replied. "That way we will arrive in Japan on Saturday, and have Sunday to rest up for Christmas. The wedding itself will take place on the 1st of January, even though it means that everything will be more expensive due to the holiday. We fly back here on the 5th of January, which should give us the weekend to recover before Keiichi has to go back to work."

"What about your honeymoon?" Urd asked in a teasing tone.

Belldandy's blush deepened. "Keiichi and I have agreed that we will have to let our honeymoon wait until he has accumulated more leave. To be honest, I don't think it bothers Keiichi."

Urd grinned playfully. "You know that he's happy when you are, Bell. That's why I think you two are made for each other. Just don't wear him out on the wedding night, OK? Or at least not too much, we'll need him strong enough to carry our bags for the flight home."

Belldandy gave her sister a mock glare. "Urd, please! Have a sense of decorum!"

Urd just laughed. "That'll be the day. At any rate, I have this delicious lunch to attend to before the next wave of customers."

Belldandy nodded as she turned to leave. "I have to get back before Harry's lesson with Sun Wukong finishes. Will you be home at your normal hour?"

Urd waved as her sister departed. "Yes, there's nothing in the diary that should keep me late. See you later!"

* * *

><p>Sun Wukong watched Harry work through the latest kata that they had spent the morning on. This was Harry's third time through it without prompts from his sensei, and so far it looked good. Nice and smooth, good execution and no missed steps.<p>

All in all, everything a good sensei wanted to see. Which worried the Monkey King a bit. Normally it took a student several days to work through a kata to a level of familiarity that allowed for such a smooth performance. For Harry to pick things up this quickly...it seemed too good to be true. Past experience had made Sun Wukong wary when that sort of thing happened.

He knew that Harry had no experience in fighting prior to his tutelage under the Monkey King. No experience beyond being the target of a group of larger children, that is. So it was not possible that Harry had previous experience that he was drawing on for his current training.

_I guess the boy is a bit of a natural. The real test will be when we finally move from the basics on to sparring. After that we will incorporate magic into the art, which will be another thing altogether. Optimistically, he might be at decent level of competence by the time he's ready to go to that magical school. Get him up to his mastery by the time he's 14 or 15, though he'll have to work hard to get that far._

_That's assuming he continues at his present rate. And once he starts at that school Belldandy mentioned, I won't have nearly as much time to train him. I guess I should look at this as a more long-term project, with an aim to bringing him to master level by the time he is 60 years old or thereabouts._

_Although...maybe we can jump the gun a bit. Nothing says he can't learn how to do magically enhanced kata alongside his traditional ones._

"OK, Harry, stop for a minute. I want to show you something new." Sun Wukong said suddenly. Harry halted in mid-movement and turned to face his sensei.

"Belldandy says that you're coming along well with your magic lessons. So where are you with that?" The Monkey King inquired.

Harry pondered that for a moment. "I'm good at levitation and summoning objects. Right now Auntie Bell is teaching me how to move objects around from one place to another, as well as very basic transfi- trastf- tranisf- um, changing things."

"Transfiguration, Harry. A very useful skill." Sun Wukong said seriously. "OK. What I want to do now is start to include so very minor magic into your martial arts. Summoning things in the middle of a fight can make a major difference - you could take somebody's weapon away, place an obstacle in their path or bring your own weapon to your hand after losing it. So to start with, we'll place some of these around the training area."

With that, Sun Wukong walked in an even circle around where Harry had been practicing his katas, placing tennis balls at regular intervals.

"Now, I want you to go back to the first kata you learned. Nice and simple. But this time, I want you to summon these balls - one at a time - during the movements. Catch the ball and then throw it to me. Keep doing this until the kata is finished, I'll make sure that you don't run out of balls. OK? Let's start out slow and speed up as your skill improves."

Harry nodded. He focussed on one of the balls for a moment, before it launched from the ground towards him. Instinctively he reached out and caught it. Turning to his sensei, he gently threw the ball.

"Like that, but during the kata. You seem to have the hang of basic martial arts movements as well as simple magical abilities, now we try to combine the two. This requires you to be able to split your efforts between two actions, so don't be surprised if things aren't quite so smooth to begin with. Ready? You may start."

Harry started his kata, and soon the first ball was flying towards him. Harry caught it clumsily and barely managed to throw it in the direction of the Monkey King, before the next ball started to move.

_Good start, _Sun Wukong mused, _now to see how it looks by the end of today's session._

* * *

><p>In a residence much larger than the one that Harry Potter called "home", Narcissa Malfoy was carefully brushing her hair with the aid of a mirror. On the surface it looked like she was staring vacantly at her own reflection while her hands were occupied with continuous brushing of her blonde locks. To the trained observer, however, subtle signs were in evidence that Lady Malfoy was engaged in some intense thought.<p>

More than anything else, Narcissa was a daughter of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. From as far back as she could remember, she had been taught to be a member of this powerful family, to serve it and see it prosper. Her marriage to Lucius Malfoy had been a calculated move on the part of her Head of House to further the fortunes of the Black Family. That something akin to love had resulted was a fortunate happenstance.

The last war had not done the family any favours. Even before the family started to lose members in battle, Sirius Black had disgraced himself badly by first being sorted into Gryffindor and then by allying himself closely with the light-aligned Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter. This was the first event in a series of major disruptions that had resulted in the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black coming close to extinction.

In truth, the "defection" of Sirius Black would have been of no consequence had the Black Family not gotten itself so heavily involved in the Dark Lord's crusade. The extended family had taken grievous losses in Death Eater raids, most of them falling in the service of the Dark Lord. The core family itself had been relatively untouched until late in the piece, when Regulus Black (the "loyal" son and favoured heir to be the new Head of House) had died in the service of the Dark Lord. This had been followed shortly by the death of Orion Black, the last official Lord Black. With Sirius unwilling to take up the mantle of the new Head of House (and the rest of the Blacks opposed to him even considering it), a vacuum had been left at the very head of the family.

Narcissa and her sisters had been ineligible to inherit thanks to the discriminatory nature of the rules of succession that prevented women from being the Head of House. Narcissa's father Cygnus had attempted to take control for himself, but had run into a major problem - the continued existence of Sirius. As the eldest son of the previous Lord Black, Sirius was first in the line of succession and could not be supplanted easily. Sirius would have to have been formally cast out of the family (something Orion had never done, apparently in a vain hope that he would one day be reconciled with his wayward son), have actively rejected the position or have died.

Narcissa suspected that Sirius had never officially rejected the role in order to spite the rest of the family. Had Regulus lived, the younger brother might have been able to challenge Sirius for the title but Cygnus was not able to. As Sirius proved remarkably hard to kill (in spite of the best efforts of the Death Eaters, who had specific orders from the Dark Lord to get rid of the light sided impediment) the Black Lordship had remained open.

Things had changed in 1981 when Sirius managed to get himself incarcerated at Azkaban. For one thing it went some way to redeeming his image in the eyes of his mother, who viewed his apparent betrayal of the Potters as evidence that Sirius had been true to the Black Family all along. It also allowed Cygnus to take a more direct role in ruling the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, as there was no chance of Sirius being able to discharge the duties of Lord Black from prison.

Had Sirius actually been convicted, Cygnus could have had himself declared Lord Black within a week of the sentence being handed down. In hindsight, Narcissa realised that the failure of her father to do exactly that was a hint that the incarceration of Sirius Black was not entirely _de jure. _Of course, hindsight was usually good at spotting details like that.

With Sirius in prison and Cygnus unable to take over, the next person likely to succeed to the position of Lord Black had been Narcissa's son, Draco. He was the eldest male of Black descent left - and in fact the only one that anybody knew of that was not descended from an expelled member. Harry Potter himself might have been in the running had Dorea Black not been cast out of the family for the crime of marrying somebody she had been forbidden from even talking to.

With Draco the most likely person to be the next Lord Black, Narcissa had done her best to raise her son to be worthy of the title. As time had gone on, however, it had appeared that Draco took after his father more than anybody else. Lucius Malfoy was an intelligent man and powerful wizard, but his approach to the political game was heavy handed and vulnerable to exposure. The Blacks had always played a more subtle game, preferring to remain unobtrusive and never showing their hand until success was guaranteed. Lucius, much as Narcissa loved him, would have been considered a liability to the kind of power plays the Blacks were used to.

Even so, Narcissa had worked with her father to try and prepare things for the eventual rise of Draco Malfoy to be the new Lord Black. She had in fact planned for special tutors to be appointed once her son had commenced his formal education at Hogwarts. This was a practice that had once been traditional for powerful families like the Blacks, but which had fallen out of favour after the rise of Grindelwald.

All of her plans were now irrelevant with the release and exoneration of Sirius Black. There was now no way that Draco would ever become Lord Black short of Sirius having a fatal accident. Regardless of his views on his own family, Narcissa knew that Sirius would never allow the Lordship of his own House fall into the hands of Lucius' son. Sirius' hatred of Death Eaters had been well known amongst the Dark Lord's followers, and the man would likely take his place as the new Lord Black simply to spite the up and coming Head of the Noble House of Malfoy.

Narcissa had few illusions about her husband. She knew that his response to an obstacle like Sirius would be direct and heavy handed, in the form of assassination attempts. Narcissa doubted that any of these would ever succeed against somebody who had survived the best the Dark Lord could throw at him.

Thus the matter of the House of Black would be left to Narcissa to salvage. Cygnus' days as the de facto ruler of the Black Family were numbered, though considering his failing health it was a moot point as to whether it would be Sirius or the Grim Reaper who ultimately took power out of her father's hands. Narcissa knew that a newly entitled Lord Sirius Black would certainly restore Andromeda Tonks, nee Black, to the family. Bellatrix would be lucky if she remained on the Family rolls, but Narcissa's status - and that of her son - were more of an open question.

Narcissa sighed as she placed her brush on the table in front of her. She was going to have to swallow a lot of pride and approach Sirius herself, in person. She would not be in a strong position, and she knew that he would have a lot of factors in his favour.

In short, she was going to have to grovel and beg. It was a deeply humiliating prospect to a proud daughter of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. But she would do that - and more - in order to protect the interests of her son.

With so much else in her life sacrificed on the altar of the Dark Lord, Draco was all she had left.

* * *

><p>Skuld emerged from her training simulator and wiped the sweat from her forehead. For all that it was a digital training environment, it drained her magic just like casting spells in the real world would.<p>

Once again she found herself regretting her decision to neglect her magical studies in favour of playing with her technomagical inventions. She should have known better - to get anywhere in Asgard, you absolutely had to have good control over your personal magic. Midgard field operations revolved around those skills, for all that she had done her best to fudge things with her "Skuld bombs" and similar devices.

Unfortunately, the success of her early coding work and the enjoyment she derived from her inventions had distracted her quite badly. Then she had decided to chase after Belldandy on Earth (breaking a lot of rules in the process) which had stalled her education and training almost completely. Belldandy had done her best, but one part-time teacher was ultimately not sufficient for the task.

_Still, it was worth it just to be with my favourite sister Belldandy. And she needed my help. _Skuld thought to herself...until she smacked herself in the forehead.

She couldn't lie to herself _that _much. She had done the Asgard equivalent of running away from home simply because it looked like her big sister was starting a relationship with a man. A _mortal _man, even, something that still raised eyebrows in some parts of Asgard. The Norn of the Future had, in essence, broken the rules by travelling to Earth simply to break up a relationship.

This moment of self admission was rather painful for the young goddess, but she knew that ultimately she had to face up to her own faults if she ever wanted to reach the goal she coveted the most - Goddess First class. Getting there would take more than just mastery of her own powers, it would also mean proving herself worthy of the position.

_Part of that is that First class goddesses cannot lie. Which is why Urd was rejected, twice. _Skuld reflected.

Suddenly her wrist-watch started beeping, alerting her that one of her computer systems needed attention. Calling up her terminal, she inspected the message. It was a notification that the preliminary analysis of the soul fragment extracted from Harry's scar had finished.

Skuld was well on the way to developing the scrying system that would give the locations of the other soul fragments - Urd had called them horcruxes. Tuning it required precise information on the soul being targeted, and the damaged fragment they had required careful analysis. In this case, "careful" also meant "time consuming".

Skuld estimated that she had another two scans to perform, each of which would take at least two weeks. Once the scans were complete, she could load the information into the modified Prophecy code she had written for the scrying system. The soul fragment itself would also be used, housed in a continuous scanner that the scrying system could access at all times. This would allow the system to make a Law of Similarity based divination spell, effectively pin-pointing the precise locations of the other soul fragments.

It was in fact a fairly basic technique for finding lost items from sets - the standard training exercise involved scattering the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle over a large area of Asgard before requiring the trainees to find them using the Law of Similarity. It was, however, tedious and frustrating, as the manual process could only provide a snapshot of the locations that would fade after several seconds. It was like being given a map of the locations that would disappear almost as soon as you had read it.

Skuld's system got around that by continuously casting the scrying spell over and over, providing a real time update. The automated system could cast the spell in a matter of microseconds, whereas doing it by hand took several minutes as the mandala would have to be redrawn every time. The computer could instantaneously pull the mandala out of its permanent memory every time, effectively drawing it in virtual space.

Some deities thought the idea of a computer using a virtual mandala was a magical impossibility and that the results provided were suspect. The counter to that view was the unrivalled success that computerised divination had enjoyed so far.

Skuld walked resolutely to her localised Yggdrasil node that she was using for the scrying system. She had erected some of the strongest firewalls she knew to keep the soul fragment isolated from the main Yggdrasil system, and Belldandy had warded the room that contained the fragment extensively. Even so, Skuld felt nervous when working near the sphere that contained the piece of soul.

It felt evil. Extensive experience with demons such as Mara meant that Skuld's empathy was sensitive enough to pick up on genuinely evil creatures. This soul fragment, however, was different from any other evil creature she had met so far.

Mara always felt like she was being evil because of a personal grudge. Hild usually felt like she was highly amused by the chaos she unleashed, but ultimately did not care as to the outcome. This piece of soul, on the other hand...it had a feeling of horrible, hateful maliciousness on a level that was deeply disturbing.

_The sooner we get this system working the better, _Skuld thought as she entered the commands for the next scan. _I want to get away from this horrible thing._

* * *

><p>Monday the 4th of September started like any other day in the Norn household. For Harry, however, it brought a sense of nervous anticipation. Belldandy picked up on this the instant he stepped into the kitchen.<p>

"Good morning, Harry. Just relax, today will be just fine."

Harry nodded jerkily, as he moved to help with preparing breakfast. Urd was the next to pick up on Harry's nervous disposition.

"Hey, relax. You'll do OK." The eldest sister said as she gently ruffled Harry's hair. Skuld nodded.

"Yeah, you have nothing to worry about. It'll be fun!"

Keiichi chimed in with his own advice. "You won't have the trouble here that you did at your last school, Harry. Just be calm and it will work out OK."

In spite of all of this well-meaning guidance, Harry remained nervous. He glanced at the source of his current worry - a packed bag sitting in a corner of the dining room.

Today, he started at his new school. And with that, another plunge into the unknown.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes: <strong>I had originally planned to write a lengthy section that covered Harry's introduction to his new school. The more I worked at it, however, the more I found myself unable to avoid tired old clichés surrounding the "new kid at school" scenario. Hence the cliff-hanger.

Regarding the wedding - for a series that features three goddesses as permanent characters (and many more deities and demons turning up to visit), _Oh My Goddess _has almost no religion in it. The closest it ever really gets is in the opening section which covers how Keiichi and Belldandy ended up living in a temple (and the plot got rid of the monk in a hurry, too). The structure of the divine world is also a bit confusing - it seems to be heavily based on the old Norse pantheon, but it has major differences. So for this story I have decided to have Belldandy opt for a Scandinavian styled wedding ceremony to match their background story. Keiichi would probably opt for something Buddhist or Shinto if he was forced to make a decision, but it strikes me that he'd be the type to defer to his bride when it came to wedding plans.

Next time: School. And maybe a wedding. It all depends on the nargles.


	13. Chapter 13: Wedding Belle

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter or Oh My Goddess.

* * *

><p>School had never been something that Harry ever enjoyed or looked forward to. This was a view he shared with many children his age, as any activity that takes a child away from whatever it is that they do to "have fun" is bound to get a bad reputation.<p>

Harry's reasons for disliking school were different from those of his fellow students. It was not the fact that he was doing something he didn't want to do - he never had fun at his "home" either and was constantly being forced into doing things he didn't like. In that regard, school was just more of the same without the threat of being beaten for any mistakes he made.

At least, not in the classroom. At least one part of Number 4 Privet Drive followed Harry to his school, in the form of Dudley Dursley. Who had quickly established himself as one of the principal bullies in the school and had used that position to continue his efforts to make Harry miserable. The game of "Harry Hunting" that Dudley had developed with his gang of fellow bullies was first played in the grounds of the school that Harry attended, though at least on the school grounds Harry had adults he could hide behind. That luxury was conspicuously absent at Privet Drive.

The classroom itself was not much of a relief, as Harry had quickly learned that doing better than his cousin in any academic field would result in more bullying from Dudley and punishments from his Aunt and Uncle. Considering that Dudley was not one of the brighter sparks in the school, this forced Harry into deliberately under-performing in order to avoid attracting any more attention than his very existence would normally garner.

The staff of his school had apparently been blind to Harry's plight as no concrete action had ever been taken to look into why Harry's academic record had taken a nose-dive shortly after he had reached an age where school results became something teachers would discuss seriously with parents. Nor did anybody ever seem to notice that Harry's clothing was always a lot more worn than Dudley's, and never the right size.

All of this added up to Harry treating school like any other part of his existence with the Dursleys - just another unpleasant task that he endured in the hopes that his performance would avoid raising the ire of his relatives.

Harry was now, however, going to a new school. One that did not contain his cousin, which was a serious improvement in its own right. Furthermore, Harry had been away from the Dursleys and in a loving, caring environment for two months already. A lot of his pre-conceptions about his place in the Universe had already been changed, resulting in his self-confidence growing daily. So he was nervously optimistic about his new school.

Belldandy had walked him to his school, which was close enough that Harry could walk home for lunch if necessary. Belldandy had informed him that he was to do this only if he had the approval of the Principal or Deputy Principal. What Belldandy had not told Harry was that the school administration had an understanding that Harry would only leave the school in the presence of one of his guardians or a member of the school staff.

"Hello, Harry. I am Mrs Wood, the Principal of Richmond Primary School. I would like to welcome you to our school, and extend a very warm welcome to you."

Gwendolyn Wood was keenly aware that Harry was a student in need of special handling. While the full details of Harry's background had not been disclosed due to Belldandy wishing to maintain Harry's privacy, but enough had been shared with the school administration that the teachers were aware that Harry came from a troubled background.

Mrs Wood already had some ideas on how to help Harry get beyond his past. The school had a strong music program as well as inter-school team sports, something that the Principal hoped that Harry would not only get involved in but would also enjoy.

Harry looked at the older woman nervously, before he glanced at Belldandy. He received an encouraging smile in return.

"Your books and supplies are waiting for you in your classroom. Come this way, and let's introduce you to your teacher for the year. Her name is Mrs Forward..." Mrs Wood said as she led Harry and Belldandy into the school. It was to be a day of introductions.

* * *

><p>Life at the Ministry of Magic was usually fairly predictable. The bureaucracy ticked over with its traditional inefficiency while Department Heads played political games that meant little and achieved less. Significant changes, such as the laws that banned "muggle baiting", were rare occurrences and usually were a reaction to a major event that was not a part of any Ministry-authorised plans.<p>

In the case of the first ban on "muggle baiting" came about after some drunken wizard had decided to replace several door-knobs in Number 10 Downing Street with the biting variety. As this nearly led to the muggle government declaring war on the Ministry of Magic, new laws were fast-tracked through to give the appearance of trying to address the problem. Naturally, the laws in question were rarely enforced.

The trial of Sirius Black III had succeeded in stirring up more activity in the Ministry than anything since the Death Eater trials that had taken place several years earlier. It was too great an event to be simply swept under the carpet. The heir to an old and established family that arguably counted as "pureblood royalty" had been incarcerated in Azkaban for 8 years without charge or trial, purely on the basis that the Aurors involved had decided that Mr Black was "obviously guilty".

Several careers had already ended thanks to that rash judgement. A few of those were not Aurors.

Barty Crouch Snr had been the most obvious casualty, the former Head of the DMLE now marking time in Intoxicating Substances. He had successfully pre-empted the more aggressive members of the Wizengamot who had been pushing for the former Director to be put on trial for his actions. Intoxicating Substances was a dead-end career posting, and was sufficient punishment for most of the Wizengamot who had more important things to worry about.

The simple fact of the matter was that they were scared by the implications of Sirius Black's imprisonment. If he could be thrown into Azkaban without charge or trial, then anybody could. All it would take is one carefully stage-managed "criminal event" and a port-key.

Naturally, nobody in the Wizengamot wanted that to happen to them. Or their family and friends, for that matter, but the principle was the same. The net result was a large amount of legislation intended to reform the judicial process being pushed through the Wizengamot.

Any student of British History (the non-magical variety, at least) would have recognised a lot of the reforms as being near carbon-copies of laws that had been present in the muggle world for centuries. In truth things like _Habeus Corpus _had been present in British Magical Law for at least as long as it had in the muggle world, but up until now the enforcement of such provisions had been lax to say the least. No important Lord wanted something silly like Ministry law to get in the way of removing troublesome muggleborn from interfering in their business by providing "competition".

The shoe, however, was now on the other foot. As purebloods woke up to the fact that the same lax enforcement that had allowed them to neatly get rid of troublesome mud-bloods and half-bloods could also be used by ambitious rivals to get rid of purebloods, a new campaign to see the judicial process handled properly developed.

Amelia Bones was right in the thick of all this, and she was making as much hay as she could while the sun was shining. She had long been frustrated at how the department she ran was corrupted to the point where she could not be sure exactly where the loyalties of her staff lay. Previous attempts to remove the cronies and enforce regulations had been stymied by interference from the Minister's office, which had always favoured the interests of rich pureblood families.

The trial of Sirius Black had given Madam Bones the leverage needed to fix a lot of the problems in the DMLE. Starting with the fact that the gross incompetence demonstrated by the arresting team had allowed her to fire a great many corrupt DMLE personnel and replace them with people more deserving of the roles the idiots had previously occupied. She had an excellent ally in the form of Rufus Scrimgeour, whose political ambitions meant that he wanted the Aurors to be working both efficiently and for the DMLE (as opposed to working for whichever influential pureblood decided to throw their weight around at any given instance, which was the old system).

Of course, ambition like that could be dangerous. Madam Bones was not worried about it at this point in time, however, as Scrimgeour had too much on his plate to even think about his next promotion.

Right now the problem facing the Director of the DMLE was the simple fact that the Minister of Magic had received her share of the blame being thrown around in the wake of the Black Scandal. While it had been demonstrated at an early stage that Minister Bagnold had been only marginally involved in Black's incarceration, there was no denying that she had been in a position that meant she should have been paying closer attention to the entire Death Eater situation. Accordingly, she should have taken an interest in the fate of one Sirius Black, even if the only purpose he had served was to provide information on his fellow Death Eaters. That she had done nothing was evidence of incompetence.

At least, that's how Bagnold's opponents in the Wizengamot were portraying things. Bagnold's approach to the war with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had won her a lot of enemies on both the light and dark sides of politics. The Darks resented her authorisation for the Aurors to use the Unforgiveables (mostly because it resulted in the deaths of relatives who were "under the Imperius") while the more extreme Lights _hated _her authorisation for the Aurors to use the Unforgiveables (apparently it was better to lose than to "taint" yourself).

Bagnold had a large enough body of supporters (mostly the Neutrals and more sane Lights) to stay on in spite of the enemies she had made. Now, however, the Neutrals were wavering in their support. This gave Bagnold's opponents an opportunity to replace the Minister with a candidate of their own.

Amelia Bones was not sure which side of politics offered the worst choice. The Darks would naturally send a "proper Pureblood" who would immediately try to implement laws that would discriminate against muggleborn while also repealing laws that restricted muggle-baiting. The Lights would appoint somebody who would roll back a lot of the emergency laws that had allowed the Ministry to remain intact over 10 years of war with the Death Eaters, on the grounds that those laws were "not needed". While those laws were in abeyance due to the lack of a declared emergency, Madam Bones knew that having them struck from the books would mean that any future emergency would take months or even years to react to. That was before the inevitable law reform aimed at removing centuries of ingrained anti-muggleborn practices from Britain's magical society, something that Amelia was convinced would kick off a brand new war overnight.

What was needed was a candidate who would not rock the boat too much. To that end, Amelia Bones had arranged for a meeting with the most influential of the Neutrals and Albus Dumbledore to be held in her office.

The Director escorted both gentlemen in personally. "Supreme Warlock Dumbledore, Lord Cadwallader, welcome to my office. Thank you both for coming."

Dumbledore smiled genially with twinkly eyes. "Thank you for inviting me, and please call me Albus. Or Headmaster if you must be formal."

Lord Alistair Cadwallader showed no emotion as he allowed himself to be escorted to a chair in front of the Madam Bones' desk. Then again, this was normal for the unofficial leader of the Neutrals.

"I know that you are both busy men," Amelia began as she took her own seat, "so I will cut straight to the meat of the matter. Minister Bagnold's days in her current position are numbered. We will have a new Minister in a year's time, if not sooner. I wish to discuss this with you both with the mind of canvassing our options."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement should be playing politics, Madam Bones?"

Bones just sighed. "It is inevitable that the Director does play politics, Headmaster, considering that the position has had a vote in the Wizengamot since at least the 18th century."

Lord Cadwallader chose this moment to enter the conversation. "She is quite correct, Albus. The role has a vote and as such whoever is the Director has one foot in the political arena at all times." He turned to Amelia. "You would not have called this meeting if you did not have at least some idea of who should get the job."

Amelia leaned forward and folded her hands in front of her. "Headmaster, are you willing to take on the role of Minister of Magic?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, Madam Bones, I have no interest in the job. I would be compelled to retire from Hogwarts, and I feel I can serve our community better as a teacher than as a politician."

Amelia sighed again. "I thought you might say that. Unfortunately it leaves us with a problem. A candidate from either the Lights or the Darks would be disastrous at this time. We have not, as a society, recovered enough from the war to be ready for the large reform agendas that a Minister from either faction would certainly have."

Dumbledore looked troubled, but nodded. "I am afraid you are correct in that concern. Even I as the notional 'Leader of the Light' can see that my allies would try to push things too far and too fast. Equally, the Darks would attempt to unravel decades of reforms overnight. The net result would be political chaos at best and a return to the troubles of 8 years ago at worst."

Cadwallader looked thoughtful. "There is no chance of any of the Neutrals getting the job. The only people I know to be qualified would never take the role on." He glanced at Madam Bones. "Do you have anybody in mind?"

"Not at this stage," Amelia admitted, "but I was thinking that we could go down a well-established safe route and appoint somebody who is a relative unknown to the Wizengamot. There are a number of senior Ministry officials who have no links to any interest groups in the Wizengamot."

"The public may not react well to that," Dumbledore mused, "as the Ministry's reputation has taken a bit of a battering as a consequence of the recent scandal. Any person from the Ministry would have to be completely free of any taint from the unjust imprisonment of Sirius Black."

"True," Madam Bones said with some reluctance, "but I maintain that this is the best approach to keeping our society stable. All we need is a senior Ministry official who has not been tainted by the Black Scandal."

A short silence filled the office as the three people considered their options. It was finally broken when Lord Cadwallader shifted his gaze from the rather tasteless ceiling decorations he had been studying back to the Director of the DMLE.

"Cornelius Fudge. He was the Junior Minister for the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes back in 1981. As I understand it he was on the scene to deal with the explosion when Black was taken into custody, but had no involvement beyond that. Since then he moved into the Office of Misinformation, where he has been liaising with the Muggle government on major breaches of the Statute of Secrecy. He's nothing inspiring, but he's also very unlikely to try and disrupt anything."

Dumbledore pondered the name for a moment. "I believe I remember him from when he was a student. Middle of his class, not a great achiever but not a poor student either. Evidently he has some skill as a manager else he would not have reached the position he has, as I do not recall his family having any influence here in the Ministry."

Amelia nodded as she heard the description. "Possibly not the most inspired choice, but he might well be our best option at this point."

"Very well," Lord Cadwallader said as he stood up, "I will approach Mr Fudge privately and appraise him of the situation. I will also consult with my esteemed colleagues to sound them out about all of this." By that he meant his fellow Neutrals.

Dumbledore rose as well. "I will explain things to my friends in the Wizengamot. I am sure that we can build enough support to allow for a smooth transition. What about our present Minister?"

Amelia Bones was already on her feet. "She will not be easy to persuade, and a no-confidence motion at this time would further damage the reputation of the Ministry. I propose that we meet with her jointly to present our views. Hopefully we can persuade her to stand down with dignity sometime next year."

Albus Dumbledore and Alistair Cadwallader glanced at each other, before they returned their attention to the Director. "Agreed. We will talk again, soon." Cadwallader said simply.

* * *

><p>All in all, Harry's first week at Richmond Primary School had gone well. He'd learnt enough of the campus layout to be able to get around without becoming lost and his new class had gone from "hey, it's a new kid" to "hey, it's Harry" by the end of the second day.<p>

Harry had even taken the first steps towards making a few friends. The school staff had plans to help Harry get beyond his troubled background and had effectively drafted the new student into the school music program on his third day. After being assured that he could play whatever instrument he wanted, Harry had chosen guitar on the basis that all the famous rock stars he'd seen up until then had been photographed with a guitar in their hands. Of course, he was rather surprised when he was first handed an acoustic guitar as it looked quite different from the electric guitars that rock groups favoured, but he soon got over it.

More crucially, the existing trio of guitar players in his group were more than welcoming to the new student. Two were naturally friendly and the third was passionate about guitars in general, and a quick bond was formed in the newly instated quartet. Greg Hall, who told Harry about how his love of guitars had started when he had seen Dire Straits live when he was a child, started a search for guitar quartets that would be within their skill level. He went on to say that if he couldn't find one he'd write something suitable. Harry was duly impressed, but the other two had just grinned knowingly. Their names were Ben Ashforth and Sam Fitzpatrick. Both of them professed to be in it more for their mutual friend Greg, though it helped that they actually liked playing guitars.

Harry had found the experience of a school which did not contain Dudley Dursley to be very different, and quite enjoyable. He was actually looking forward to returning after the weekend, though saying this out loud had resulted in Urd chuckling wryly.

Harry had been told that Saturday mornings had been given over to his martial arts training with Sun Wukong, as there was only time for one hour refresher lessons during the week. Harry didn't mind as his lessons in mixing magic and martial arts had advanced beyond simply throwing tennis balls at Monkey while doing katas. The new exercise had Monkey use his magic to throw tennis balls at Harry from all sides while Harry was engaged in the kata. Harry's job was to use his magic to "catch" the balls and then throw them back in the direction that they came from. The exercise was quite taxing on his concentration and energy, with Harry finding himself tiring after only a few minutes. Sun Wukong alternated with basic martial arts training between the "magic martial arts" sessions in order to avoid over-tiring his student.

It was now Sunday, and Harry was surprised when Keiichi told him that a full day was already planned.

"You've progressed well with your bicycle," the young engineer explained, "so I thought that today we can start teaching you how to ride your motorcycle. I've borrowed a trailer suitable for carrying bikes and there's a motorcycle club just outside of town where we can practice."

Harry was not sure if he should be excited or scared. He looked to Belldandy for support, not noticing Urd's small smile as she noticed the move.

"I think you'll be just fine, Harry. I ride bikes myself and I can help you learn." Belldandy said with her usual warm smile. Harry smiled back, reassured that things would be OK.

"Belldandy got you some protective clothing for this," Urd interjected, "better try it on to get a good fit before you start riding. I'll be busy with my shop today and I think Skuld has something lined up with her schooling."

Skuld pouted. She had a test to complete, meant to determine her progress with her magic lessons. So far, the catch-up work was taking her away from her family more than she liked.

"OK, we'll get going after breakfast then. Just relax, Harry, you'll love this." Keiichi said reassuringly.

* * *

><p>Every Gryffindor student currently attending Hogwarts was gathered in the Gryffindor Common Room. The Welcoming Feast had included the surprise announcement of a new Head of House, along with a message that all Gryffindors should assemble in the Common Room to hear from their new Head.<p>

Older students knew Aurora Sinistra from Astronomy lessons, but beyond that few had been able to learn much about the teacher as a person. As such she was a total unknown as far as how she would do her new job.

Up until the Feast, few had even known that the Astronomy Professor had been in Gryffindor.

The background chatter of the assembled students disappeared as Aurora Sinistra walked in front of the crowd. Turning to face them all, the Gryffindor Crest was obvious on her robes.

"Welcome, everybody, to House Gryffindor. As you are aware, the previous Head of House stepped down from the position over the summer break due to personal reasons. I ask that you do not bother Professor McGonagall about this. I'm sure that if she wants her reasons known that she will tell you in due course.

"As your Head of House, I am here to help you adjust to the school environment and prosper as students. To this end I will aid you with any problems that the Prefects are unable to deal with. I trust that all Gryffindor Prefects know their responsibilities and will do their best to live up the expectations the school has for students in their position."

Several of the Prefects glanced at each other out of the corners of their eyes. At least one made a mental note to re-read the Prefects' Handbook.

"What kind of problems am I here to help you with? In short, almost everything. I am in effect acting as your guardian here in the school and am responsible for your well being. To that end, any and all issues regarding Hogsmeade weekends will be sorted by myself. Any matters regarding detentions and point losses are also within my purview. If you feel that any detention or loss of points is unfair or unjust you may raise the matter with me, but be certain of your position because I am entitled to increase any penalties if I find that you are being frivolous.

"I have posted a timetable on the noticeboard that has my office hours listed in detail. My office can be found in the ground level of the Astronomy Tower. Please do not approach me outside of the posted hours as I will be busy.

"Finally, I hope that this year is a good one for everybody here and in the school at large. Please do your best to keep the learning environment productive and friendly. That said, I also want to see the House and Quidditch Cups in my office by the end of the year, so keep that competitive edge."

As the new Head of House finished, two red-headed first years glanced at each other. They had heard a lot about Minerva McGonagall and had thought they knew what to expect, but this really threw a kneazle amongst the post owls.

A red-headed third year noticed the two first years eyeing each other and leaned over to whisper. "I don't know what you're planning, but you two had better be on your best behaviour! Got that, Fred? George?"

"Sure thing, Percy. What else-"

"-do you expect from us?"

Percy Weasley glowered at his younger brothers. "You should know not to ask that."

* * *

><p>"OK Harry, the first thing you need to know is that while riding a bicycle is similar to riding a motorbike, there are some important differences," Keiichi began, "the first is that motorbikes are a lot heavier and are harder to control as a result. So, let's look at the brakes..."<p>

Harry listened keenly as he absorbed the lesson. Keiichi had borrowed a few trail bikes for himself and Belldandy for the lesson, and was using one of them as a teaching aid.

"Remember to lean into the turn, and grip the fuel tank with your knees." Keiichi finished. "That's the basics, now let's give it all a try, OK? We'll start off slow and practice everything first until you're comfortable with it. We can go faster later on."

Harry nodded, before picking up his helmet. Belldandy moved to help him put it on.

"Keep the chin strap nice and tight, Harry, we want your helmet to be firmly on your head." She advised her charge.

Fully kitted out, Harry walked over to his bike and straddled it. Running through the checklist that Keiichi had given him, he started it up.

"OK Harry," Keiichi called from his own bike, "now let's get in gear and move off."

Harry nodded, and was soon moving. After 10 metres he was in love with his new mode of transport.

_I have to learn more, this is great!_

* * *

><p>It was a good day for Sirius Black. After years in prison and months in hospital, he had been given a clean bill of health and was now allowed out to live his own life again.<p>

"Well, I must say that your progress has been remarkable, Mr Black." One of the healers was saying. "It has been nice meeting you, but I do hope that if we ever do so again that it is not in my professional capacity."

"Likewise." Sirius said as he winked at one of the nurses standing behind the healer. She blushed heavily and looked away. _I've still got it, _Sirius thought to himself wryly, remembering a few nights when things had been...interesting.

As he exited the hospital building, he saw a familiar figure waiting for him. His already present smile broadened into a full grin as he increased his pace.

"Andromeda! It has been far too long." Sirius greeted his cousin.

"Hello Sirius. Yes, far too long indeed." Andromeda Tonks said as she embraced her relative. "Come on, I have lunch waiting at home. Ted wants to talk to you as well."

"Lead the way." Sirius said as he turned towards the gates of the hospital grounds.

* * *

><p>Cornelius Fudge walked to his office distractedly. He had been summoned to a meeting with Albus Dumbledore of all people that morning, and had been told of the upcoming political turmoil and the role that Fudge might play in it.<p>

_Minister of Magic? I've always wanted the job, but to see it happen..._

On the one hand, he was immensely proud that he had been chosen - by Dumbledore, even! - to lead his society in such an important position. On the other hand he knew that the only reason he was being considered came down to the delicate balance of the Light and Dark sides of magical politics.

_It pays to avoid choosing sides, sometimes. _Fudge thought. _It certainly has gotten me the ultimate pay-off. Minister of Magic! Why, in that office I'll be able to..._

Fudge came to a halt just inside his office. _Actually, just what do I want to do as Minister? I've always wanted the job, but what was it that I wanted to do in the role again?_

* * *

><p>Urd half-listened to Harry's excited babble as he talked about the day's motorbike lessons. She was still thinking about her shop and the role it was going to play.<p>

_I've got the St Mungo's and DMLE contracts now. The Holyhead Harpies will sign tomorrow, and a few other Quidditch teams are interested. Once I've got them all locked in I'll have a big enough presence that I'll be able to flash around plenty of gold without anyone wondering where it came from._

While it had been useful, Urd sometimes wished that the convenient lottery win had not happened.

_We needed it to get the property, my shop, the things we need to survive here...but having that much money without any obvious income stream will eventually arouse interest from all sorts of people. The shop will give us a good cover for our financial success in the magical world, at least._

A small cough from Belldandy attracted Urd's attention. She looked over to see Belldandy looking at her sister expectantly.

"Urd? I believe you said that you had something you needed to talk about?"

Urd blinked. "Ah, yes. I just wanted to let everybody know that I have more news about the wedding. Keiichi's sister has it all organised, so when we get there we won't have to do much apart from get ourselves appropriate clothing."

Harry looked stunned. He'd never been to a wedding before.

"We leave on the 22nd, right?" Skuld asked.

"Correct." Belldandy said calmly. "We are due to return on the 5th of January. That will give us time before and after the wedding, so we can avoid rushing things."

Harry put up his hand. Belldandy looked over. "Yes, Harry?"

"Do I have to do anything in this? It's just..." He was cut off by a chuckle from Urd.

"Relax, Harry. All you have to do is sit in the crowd and watch. Everybody there will either be a friend or a member of the family so it is a good opportunity to meet new people. You can just relax and have fun, it's the rest of us who have to get things done."

Harry visibly relaxed. Belldandy smiled, even as she reflected that Megumi Morisato was already arranging to have Harry chaperoned on the day to make sure he did not get overwhelmed by all the strange people.

"By the way, Bell? Urd? Can I talk to you in my lab after dinner?" Skuld asked.

"Of course, Skuld." Belldandy replied.

* * *

><p>Sirius Black paused before he knocked on the door to the Headmaster's office. <em>Every time I come here I feel like I'm a student again, being called on the carpet to explain another prank. <em>Gathering himself, he knocked firmly.

"Come in Sirius." He heard from within. Suppressing a grin, he opened the door and walked in to see Albus Dumbledore standing to one side of his desk. The old man quickly walked over, offering his hand. Sirius took it and gave a firm shake.

"My boy, it is so good to see you fit and well again. I cannot begin to apologise for the way you were..."

Sirius cut the Headmaster off. "Albus, there's more than enough blame to go around for what happened to me. Your part in it was small compared to others." _Including my own. _"Let's just allow it to rest for now, OK?"

"As you wish Sirius." Dumbledore said evenly before he gestured for Sirius to take a seat. The old man took his own seat before Sirius spoke up again.

"So, how are things at my old _alma mater_? Still chaotic?"

"Not nearly as wild since you left," Dumbledore said with twinkling eyes, "but we still have our moments."

"Heh, nice to know we made a difference." Sirius said, smirking. "I see Minerva stepped down as the Head of House."

"Yes, she felt that she didn't have enough time to do that and be Deputy Headmistress and a teacher all at the same time. Fortunately we have a very able replacement in Aurora Sinistra." Albus replied.

"I remember her. Dab hand with her telescopes and a quick wit in the classroom." Sirius mused. "Here's hoping that she's good for Gryffindor."

"Quite." Dumbledore said. It was his old House too, after all.

"Now, to the reason I came here." Sirius said as he leaned forwards. "What happened to my godson, Dumbledore? Where is Harry? Nobody I know seems able to answer the question."

Albus Dumbledore mentally braced himself. This was not going to be a pleasant conversation.

* * *

><p>For all that it is spread across the British Isles, the community of British wizards and witches is quite small and interconnected. The theory of "Six Degrees of Separation" applies to the magical community strongly, though in most cases there is only about three degrees involved.<p>

In such a community, advertising products and stores is a different ballgame from the muggle world. When word of mouth can break a reputation faster than the speed of light, it is often more about impressing the right people rather than slick packaging and marketing.

Urd knew this and had planned her business approach accordingly. She had not spent a single knut on advertising yet, though a small ad in the _Daily Prophet _was on the cards. Between the hospital, DMLE and Quidditch teams, however, Urd knew that she had managed to get some of the most connected people in the entire community to give her shop a tacit endorsement.

She could not have bought that kind of advertising with all the gold in Gringotts. The reputation of _Urd's Elegant Potions _had gone from "totally unknown" to "the hottest new gossip" almost overnight. Within a year it would be every bit a part of the society's social fabric as Ollivander's wand shop was.

For Urd, this was the plan. The ad in the newspaper was more for appearances' sake than anything else. She already had the name of her shop firmly embedded into the gossip of the magical world; the customers might as well have been queuing up around the block.

There were, however, risks to this strategy. One bad potion could destroy her reputation forever, the gossip-mongers would be quick to see to that. Urd had taken pains to keep the bulk of her inventory as simple and generic as possible to avoid the possibility of anybody having an allergic reaction. She was depending on the quality and quantity to win over the big contracts, while subtly suggesting that custom potions would be available on consultation.

Word of this was spreading quickly, and already some notable persons had visited the new shop to acquire unique remedies for their afflictions. These remedies worked without fail and were even pleasant to drink, leading to increased chatter amongst the richer parts of society that could afford the services of a potions master to develop something specific to themselves.

This chatter was already penetrating to all corners of magical Britain, which was just fine for Urd. What she had not yet realised was just how far that influence would go. In one manor, elderly eyes gazed into the distance as a shrewd mind contemplated the newest gossip to be making the rounds.

* * *

><p>Sirius Black was in a foul mood. Dumbledore's summary of what had happened to Harry Potter since the death of James and Lily had come close to bringing out his true Black heritage.<p>

"Are you totally insane, Dumbledore?" Sirius half asked, half snarled.

The older man looked hurt. "I acted as I thought best, Sirius. Surely you cannot blame me for that."

Sirius brought a fist down onto Dumbledore's desk with a crash. "Blood wards, Dumbledore! Blood wards! Even my family avoided those like the plague, surely that should have been a big sign that they should be avoided!"

Dumbledore carefully righted his bowl of lemon drops, avoiding Sirius' eyes. "The Blood Wards were invoked by Lily herself and almost certainly saved Harry, destroying Voldemort in the process. I thought that they had already proven themselves effective and could not think of a more robust protection for the child."

Sirius glared. "It never occurred to you to look the damn things up? Even I knew that wards based on blood can be damn dangerous in the long-term. Why didn't you at least do some research?"

Albus paused before replying. "I have asked myself that same question recently, Sirius. I can only offer the excuse that at the time I was overloaded with work related to the clean-up in the wake of Voldemort's death. There were Death Eater reprisals still happening, mass arrests made, trials being set up in a hurry..."

"Don't talk to me about trials, old man, you don't want to go there." Sirius ground out. "Even if we allow for Blood Wards, surely common sense should have told you that the Dursleys were the last people on this planet who should have been given custody of Harry. I only knew them vaguely from Lily and even I knew that they were bad news."

"I had no other option. The Blood Wards demanded blood relatives of Lily to work." Dumbledore protested. "I knew that Harry would not have the best upbringing but he would at least be safe."

"And yet more blood relatives have turned up," Sirius said sarcastically, "perhaps they just appeared out of nowhere? Or is it another case of the great Albus Dumbledore not looking into things hard enough? Just how long did you spend looking for relatives of Lily, old man?"

Dumbledore paused again. He did not want to admit that he had not even thought of the possibility of any relatives other than Petunia Dursley and her family. "Again, I have to excuse myself with the workload I had at the time..."

"That's your damn excuse for everything, isn't it?" Sirius interrupted. "Maybe you should catch a hint and reduce your workload then? If you keep making mistakes like this due to a lack of time you should stop making important decisions."

Albus glared. "I will thank you for not telling me how to do my job."

"Which job, Dumbledore? Headmaster of Hogwarts? Your work at the ICW? The Wizengamot? Or trying to be the 'Leader of the Light' and fighting the Dark Lord?" Sirius responded belligerently. "Considering how you've messed up with Harry, I'll tell you your job all I like. Just tell me which one you're actually trying to do at any given moment first."

Dumbledore sighed. "I see that civil discussion is not possible right now. Perhaps we should meet again later on when we are calmer."

"Oh no, you don't just dismiss me that easily." Sirius growled. "I'll go but I want something out of you first. You know where Harry's new family is, nobody else does. Tell me and I'll get out of your hair."

Albus pursed his lips before summoning a quill and a piece of parchment. He quickly wrote out Harry's new address and handed it over. "Be warned, Sirius, they do not appreciate anybody trying to interfere in Harry's affairs. Be careful when approaching them."

Sirius glanced at the address before he pocketed. He rose to his feet, and turned to the door. On his way out, he turned and spoke over his shoulder.

"Don't worry, old man. I know better than to just barge in like you did. I'll get into their good graces, don't worry about that."

The door slammed as Sirius left the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore sagged into his chair, his hand absently reaching for a lemon drop.

* * *

><p>Packing to go overseas was a new experience for Harry, but by that stage he was getting used to the idea of doing things he had never done before. He had found a way of coping with the stress involved in trying something he had no idea about - he asked Belldandy for help.<p>

"Don't bother with any formal clothing, we'll get that in Japan." She advised. "Bring plenty of warm clothing as it will quite cold where we are staying."

"OK. Should I bring anything other than clothes?" Harry asked.

Downstairs, Skuld had cornered Urd. "I need you to come and look at something in my lab, Urd. It could be important."

"Important, eh? Sure you don't want Bell to help?" Urd asked diffidently.

Skuld frowned. "Yes, I would, but she won't have time before we leave for Japan. You and I should be able to handle it until we get back and Harry is back at school."

"OK then, lead the way." Urd said in a resigned tone. The pair walked out to the backyard and made their way to Skuld's lab.

"It's the system I set up to divine the locations of those soul fragments," Skuld explained as she unlocked a fortified door, "the results are in but I can't figure them out."

Urd raised an eyebrow as she made her way to the terminal that was attached to Skuld's divination system. Skuld tapped a few commands into the keyboard, and a large map of Britain appeared in the air.

"It should give us precise locations for every other part of the soul we have a piece of," Skuld explained, "but the results are very vague."

Urd examined the map closely. Skuld was right in one respect, the divination code used should have allowed them to zoom in to a point where they could get the position of a soul fragment to the nearest millimetre. Instead, they had one circle that incorporated all of London with a message stating "2 (?) items" next to it. A larger circle seemed to cover a significant chunk of Scotland, with a message "1 (?) item" next to it. Finally, there were two slightly smaller circles on parts of England, each with a message "1 (?) item" next to them.

"What's going on, Urd? This thing is giving us a possible area for each item, measured in square kilometres!" Skuld said in exasperation.

Urd leaned over and tapped a few commands into the terminal. After looking at the message that came up, she grunted.

"Two things, dear sister. The first is that the soul fragments are in locations that are heavily shielded with powerful magics. That makes them hard to pin down."

Skuld pouted. "But Yggdrasil should be able to divine through any magic they have down here."

"True," Urd said, "but that's where the second part comes in. We've just run right into Prophecy Fulfilment rules again. We are being blocked from finding these soul fragments because it is beyond our assigned responsibilities regarding the Prophecy that involves Harry."

Skuld looked frustrated. "Damn it! So what should I do with all this?"

Urd leaned back and shrugged. "Keep it. It is good work for all that we are being blocked, and it might be useful someday. Just keep checking it occasionally, you never know when circumstances might change and we get better results."

Skuld nodded, before she shut down the map display. "I guess. Are you packed for the trip?"

"Of course." Urd said with a smirk. "The question is, are you?"

"Banpei is doing it for me." Skuld explained. "What about Welsper?"

Urd paused. "I knew we forgot something. We'll have to introduce him - I mean her - to Harry and then find a cat home while we're away..."

* * *

><p>As it happened, Belldandy had already started the process to get Welsper out of quarantine. One day before the family was due to travel to Japan, Welsper was finally brought into the house in Hinckley.<p>

"Harry, there is somebody you need to meet. Her name is Welsper and she is a magical cat. She's been in quarantine since we arrived in Britain, so we haven't been able to introduce you until now." Belldandy told Harry.

"A magical cat? What can she do?" Harry asked.

"Talk. Fly a bit, on occasion. Needless to say, she falls under the Statute of Secrecy so don't tell any of your friends at school about her, OK?" Urd put in.

Harry nodded. Belldandy smiled before she opened the door. A black cat with white feet and a white mark on its forehead walked in.

"So, this is the new one. My name is Welsper, you may add 'sir' to that on formal occasions." The cat said by way of introduction.

"Welsper! Behave!" Belldandy scolded, causing the cat to shrink into itself. "Now, Harry this is Welsper. Welsper, this is Harry Potter."

Harry eyed the cat with some suspicion. It hadn't sounded like a "her" but he wasn't sure if that had anything to do with it being a magical cat.

"Er, nice to meet you, Welsper." Harry offered.

The cat eyed Harry coolly, before nodding. "Charmed, I'm sure. Now if there isn't anything else, I'd like to familiarise myself with the house..."

"Don't get too familiar. We're going overseas tomorrow, so unless you want to go through quarantine all over again you'll be going to a cat home this afternoon." Urd said with a mischievous smile.

"What?! A cat home?! But I only just got out of that infernal prison!" Welsper half-shouted with some alarm.

"I'm sorry, Welsper, but the red tape had you all tied up in there. We couldn't get you out until today, which is just bad timing. I guess you and Harry will get to know each other in the new year." Urd said without at trace of sympathy.

"I swear, somebody has it in for me..." Welsper muttered as she was put back in the cat basket.

* * *

><p>In Asgard, Peorth sneezed.<p>

* * *

><p>"Hello, Professor." Sirius Black said warmly. Minerva McGonagall nodded and took the out-stretched hand.<p>

"Hello Mr Black. It is good to see you again." The teacher said as she stepped aside to let her old student enter her office.

"It is indeed, Professor. How have you been?" Sirius asked as he moved towards a waiting chair.

"As well as one can expect. A lot better than you have been." Minerva said as she took a seat behind her desk. "I must apologise, Mr Black. I should never have doubted you..."

Sirius held up a hand to interrupt as he sat down. "No need, Professor. There was more than enough doubt amongst friends back then, and I was just as guilty of pre-judging old friends and allies. And please, call me Sirius."

"Only if you call me Minerva. I haven't been your teacher for more than ten years now." Minerva said as a small smile grew on her face.

Sirius chuckled. "I'll try, but long ingrained habits will be hard to overcome I'm afraid. I heard you stood down as Head of Gryffindor?"

Minerva pursed her lips and looked at a paperweight on her desk. "Yes. I realised that in trying to do three jobs at once I was quite delinquent in my duties towards one of them. There was no way to make more time so something had to give."

Sirius nodded. "It never occurred to me before but in hindsight you were given a lot to do, Professor. Well, Aurora should do well enough."

Minerva looked up with an interested look. "You can call Professor Sinistra 'Aurora', but you can't unbend far enough to call me Minerva?"

Sirius let out a bark of laughter. "Ah, you have no idea just how many schoolboy crushes our esteemed Professor of Astronomy had when I was a student here. She was always Aurora to us outside of class, even if we never said it to her face."

"Am I to understand that you had a crush yourself, Sirius?" Minerva said with a gleam in her eye.

"No comment." Sirius replied with a leer.

Minerva chuckled again, before she adopted a serious expression. "I understand you had something of an argument with Albus the other day."

"That's one way of putting it." Sirius said testily. "I'd be willing to bet that he didn't tell you what it was all about."

"He didn't." Minerva said with a faint look of surprise. "How did you-"

"-know?" Sirius finished for her. "The topic in question is one that I am certain causes our esteemed Headmaster no end of embarrassment. We'll get to that in a moment, I had a question about something else first."

"Oh?" Minerva said, impatient to find out the cause of the rift between Albus and Sirius.

"Where is Remus, Minerva? I haven't heard a word from him since I was released. Heck, I haven't spoken to him since just before James and Lily went into hiding." He paused as a pained look flashed over his face. Then he looked Minerva straight in the eye.

"What happened to my old friend, Minerva? Just what happened to Remus Lupin?"

Minerva sighed. "Mr Lupin has not had an easy time of it, Sirius. The anti-werewolf prejudice was worse after the fall of You-Know-Who thanks to the actions of individuals like Greyback. He has been drifting from job to job, and has spent quite some time in the muggle world due to the lack of employment options here in the magical world."

Sirius looked pensive. "That's a real shame. He was always the smartest of the four of us, academically at least. But why hasn't he at least tried to contact me now that I'm free?"

"I couldn't possibly guess as to why." Minerva said neutrally. "I do have his most recent address though if you want to look him up."

"I think I'll have to. I have an idea about why Remus has been silent and it isn't a good one." Sirius said in a resigned tone.

Minerva quickly wrote out an address on a scrap of parchment and handed it over. Sirius glanced at it before he put it in a pocket.

"Now, are you going to tell me what had you and Albus almost come to blows? Or will I have to prove that you aren't too old for me to assign a detention?" The Transfiguration Professor asked.

Sirius looked distracted. "Tell me, Minerva, what has the Headmaster told you about Harry Potter?"

* * *

><p>Harry had found the whole process of flying internationally to be exhausting, both physically and mentally. The long waits at the airports at both ends, the queues, customs checking his baggage and, of course, the flight itself, had all worked to tire him out in a way that no physical challenge could.<p>

It had helped that they had all been flying first class, giving a level of comfort that had allowed Harry to get some sleep during the flight. The excitement of the new experience, the background noise that never seemed to go away and the general nervousness of being high in the sky had meant that he had not received nearly enough rest.

As a result it was unsurprising that he spent most of his first day in Japan relaxing and napping at the temple that he had been told was where Keiichi and Belldandy had lived before they moved to Britain. He had been introduced to Keiichi's sister Megumi, who had been positively bubbly at meeting her "new nephew", but beyond that he had mostly spent time recovering.

Now he was being measured for a suit. Belldandy had some connection with a professional tailor who had sworn on his honour to have something appropriate for Harry ready by the day of the wedding. As far as Harry was concerned, it meant a lot of standing around while somebody measured various parts of him.

Urd watched from a distance away as the tailor and Harry did their best to work past a language barrier. Harry was doing well with his Japanese lessons but was far from fluent, while the tailor only had rudimentary English skills at best. Belldandy was her usual endlessly patient self and was translating when needed.

Her own outfit was already sorted. Urd was a dab hand at creating her own outfits when needed, and had already whipped up something appropriate for the ceremony. She glanced at her watch.

_Time for a meeting. This one won't be pleasant._

* * *

><p>In a small cafe in Tokyo, a very tanned woman was sipping her tea when Urd walked in. The two quickly spotted each other and an unspoken message flashed between them. Urd braced herself and walked over to join the older woman.<p>

"Urd dear, how are you?" Daimakaicho Hild asked as Urd took a seat.

"As well as one might expect, Daimakaicho." Urd replied formally.

"Oh, Urd, please. Can't you call me 'mother' just once in a while?" Hild asked with a pout.

"Not today, this is formal business." Urd retorted stiffly.

Hild sighed. "Ah, what has the world come to that a mother cannot have tea with her daughter without discussing business..."

"Stop it. You know why I am here." Urd said with some heat.

"Maybe I do. Please explain why Asgard has formally asked me here." Hild said blandly.

"You have to know about the latest assignment that my sister has been assigned to." Urd began.

"Yes, there is a high priority Prophecy at risk. Dear Belldandy has been sent to fix things that the mortals messed up." Hild said disinterestedly.

Urd nodded. "Skuld and I have been assigned to assist. As such we are now all officially assigned to a Prophecy Recovery and Fulfilment task."

Hild nodded in return. "Indeed. Such an important job, but what can one expect from my daughter..."

"Stop it." Urd repeated. "A background story has been created to allow us to take Harry into our care. To be blunt, that story does not have room for you in it."

Hild looked hurt. "Are you disowning me, Urd?"

"I sometimes wish I could." Urd muttered. "But not in this case. What I - and, by extension, Asgard - are asking is that you refrain from interfering in our handling of Harry Potter until such time that the cover story is no longer necessary."

Hild looked up sharply. "Are you sure that the cover story will have a finite life, then?"

Urd looked uncomfortable. "It is inevitable. We'll have to tell Harry the truth at some stage. The later the better as far as I'm concerned. I just hope he'll react to it better than I would."

A faint trace of sympathy crept into Hild's expression. "Don't worry, Urd dear, I'm sure Belldandy has something planned. As far as non-interference goes, that was a given the instant you moved into Prophecy Recovery. I have no interest in upsetting that particular apple cart."

Urd glared. "Why? I would have thought you'd just love to thwart Asgard on this."

"Urd, please think. Do you think that Asgard is alone in issuing Prophecies?" Hild asked enigmatically. "Both sides have a vested interest in not starting fights over this kind of thing."

Urd stared. That was one piece of information she had been unaware of. "Anyway, about the wedding. You'll be there I'm sure, there's no way we can stop you from coming. But can you please not spoil things with Harry?"

"Don't worry," Hild said with a smile, "I'll make sure I don't upset your plans. It is the least I can do for my daughter."

"Stop it." Urd said for the third time that meeting.

* * *

><p>The mood in the Headmaster's office was chilly. In the same way that the geographic south pole in the middle of winter can be considered "quite cool".<p>

Minerva McGonagall was there in her official capacity as Deputy Headmistress. Albus tried to avoid looking in her direction; he had yet to fully recover from the professional dressing down she had given him after she had found out about what had happened to Harry Potter since 1981.

Half of it had been in Gaelic. Albus would have applauded the performance had he not been on the receiving end.

The other two people in the office were Severus Snape and Aurora Sinistra. Both of whom looked to be ready to duel each other to the death. Albus was not sure which party he would bet on in such an encounter - Severus Snape was very good at the Dark Arts, but Aurora Sinistra had participated in the underground duelling circuit to help pay her way through her apprenticeship after leaving Hogwarts. That she was still alive and in one piece said a lot about her skill with a wand.

"Shall we get to the point?" Albus asked with a trace of exasperation. He wanted this over before a fight broke out.

"Certainly. This man has been blatantly biased and has been making unfair - and unjustified - point awards and reductions. I demand that something be done to rein in his behaviour." Aurora said icily.

"Just because I am more strict than other teachers, doesn't mean -" Snape began before he was cut off by Minerva.

"You subtracted 100 points from Gryffindor this week alone for 'infringements' such as breathing too loudly, being a know-it-all, being two seconds late and for reading too far ahead in the textbook. That is not strict, Snape, that is an outright abuse of the House point system."

Snape snorted. "Just because it was your precious lions involved, you see fit to-"

This time he was interrupted by a spell that narrowly missed his nose. Minerva glowered, lowering her wand.

"Be careful with accusations like that, Snape, or you'll find out just what it is like to teach while under probation."

Albus decided it was time to intervene. "Now, Minerva, you can't just-"

"Yes I can. It is entirely within the power of the Deputy Headmistress to place teachers under probation following official complaints regarding their behaviour. I'll do that and more if Snape doesn't shape up. And if he wants to appeal, he'll have to go to the Board because that's where I'll be headed."

Albus paused. He did not want the Board investigating teaching standards at Hogwarts; he had too many enemies itching to find the smallest hint of something amiss.

Aurora leaned forward. "I'd be hot on her heels if it came to that. As it stands, all I ask is that this person leave his petty grudges against the Gryffindors he went to school with outside of his professional life."

Snape's eyes flashed. "You dare to suggest that-"

"-you are allowing a decade old rivalry with a dead man and his friends turn you into a despicable bully? Yes I am, Snape, care to make something of it?" Aurora snapped back.

Albus quickly cast a cannon-blast spell to ward off any potential fight. "Let us not get personal here."

"Too late, Headmaster." Minerva said as she glared at the Potions Master. "I will be personally reviewing all disciplinary measures, points awards and reductions made by Professor Snape for the rest of the year. I will not go so far as to put him under probation, but be warned! If I or Aurora receive any more complaints about your conduct during lessons, probation is just a signature away!"

Dumbledore rubbed his temples as a headache formed. _When it rains, it pours._

* * *

><p>Christmas in Japan was a mixture of new and old things for Harry. The new aspect was that he was involved in the celebrations, something that had never happened with the Dursleys. The old, familiar stuff was the array of food available (though now Harry was allowed to eat it as well as help prepare it) and the exchange of gifts (again, Harry was in the novel position of receiving gifts for a change).<p>

The party was quite small, Belldandy not wanting to overwhelm Harry with a lot of strangers. He did, however, get to meet Keiichi's parents. Keiichi's father seemed a little skittish, and spent most of his time doing things with Megumi's motorbike. He also seemed scared of all the women in the temple, but stopped short of bolting in fear.

Keiichi's mother, on the other hand, was a wonderful mix of warmth and absent-mindedness. It was obvious that she dearly loved her family, and was immediately willing to include in Harry in that. On the other hand she had come up with no less than eight different theories of how Harry had come to be part of the family, starting with "Harry is the secret child of the Queen of England" and running through to "Harry is a spy in disguise".

Nobody really had the heart to argue. Particularly not when she handed out cookies.

Receiving presents was still something of a novelty for Harry, for all that his birthday had been a success on that front. Thanks to the mixed crowd it was all non-magical in nature. Keiichi had given Harry more tools for his motorbike, Belldandy had given him a hand-knitted jumper, Urd had bought some more games for the Sega and Skuld had given him some Lego sets.

Keiichi's sister had given him some stickers for his bike helmet and a pair of stylish sunglasses. Keiichi's parents had come with intricate pieces of glasswork for everyone - Harry got one of an owl that he thought was quite nice.

Eventually the excitement and rich food had gotten the better of Harry and he drifted off to sleep at the table. Belldandy carefully put him to bed while the other adults smiled knowingly.

* * *

><p>Sirius Black cast a warming spell on himself as he marched towards a lone cottage that stood out against the snowy landscape. Patting a pocket to check for a vial he had placed there earlier, he braced himself as he headed towards a confrontation he knew had to happen.<p>

Inquiries with old friends and Order members had not told a pleasant tale about his old friend Moony. It seemed the man had turned into a recluse following the death of James and Lily, avoiding social engagements, turning down invitations and generally not talking to anybody in the magical community if he could avoid it.

Sirius thought he had figured it out. Now he just had to confront his fellow Marauder and find out for certain.

He paused at the door, before he pulled out the vial and drank its contents in one gulp. He waited for a moment until he felt the tell-tale tingle that revealed that the potion was working. Once he was satisfied that it had kicked in, he knocked on the door.

After a few moments, it opened to reveal the somewhat dishevelled looking Remus Lupin. The man's eyes widened as he saw who was at the door.

"Sirius!" Anything more seemed to be beyond the werewolf.

"Hello, Moony. May I come in?" Sirius asked politely.

"Of course, come in." Remus said as he stood to one side. Sirius entered, taking off his heavy coat and shaking off some snow.

"It has been too long, Moony. How have you been?" Sirius said as Remus closed the door.

"I've been managing, Sirius. You know what it's like."

"No, I don't, Moony. Why don't you tell me?" Sirius said as he stood upright.

Remus paused, before he walked over to a pair of armchairs arranged in front of a fire. "Nobody wants to employ werewolves, Sirius. I've been jumping from job to job in the muggle world, making ends meet."

Sirius shook his head as walked over to join Remus in front of the fire. "James and I both gave you access to our vaults, Remus. Why didn't you take our offers of help?"

Remus stiffened slightly as he sat down. "I don't want charity."

Sirius gave an exasperated sigh as he sat down himself. "There's pride in not accepting charity and then there's stupidity, Moony. Look at where you are now."

"I've managed." Remus said tightly.

"I can see." Sirius said sarcastically as he looked around the sparsely decorated room. He returned his gaze to his old friend.

"What happened, Moony? Where were you since Halloween '81? Why did you avoid Harry? He could have used your help."

Remus looked at the fire, refusing to meet Sirius' eyes. "You all pushed me away. Apparently seven years together at Hogwarts wasn't enough to allow you to trust me."

"Damn it, Moony, I'm sorry. But remember what was going on! It was obvious that there was a spy in the Order leaking things to the Dark Wanker, and every day brought more stories of werewolves joining the Death Eaters. I know we shouldn't have doubted you, but the stress of everything that was going on..."

Remus sighed. "I know. It was petty of me. Especially as we were all wrong."

Sirius winced. "Yeah. In hindsight Peter was the most likely one to break. He was always the first to want to back out of any of our pranks, worried about getting caught."

Remus nodded. "As for what happened back then...James died. Then so did Peter, or at least it appeared that way. You were apparently a traitor and in prison, Harry disappeared..."

"About that." Sirius interrupted. "Why didn't you try to find him? I know Dumbledore was trying to keep him safe in hiding, but you of all people had a right to stay in contact."

Remus looked up from the fire. "I didn't think it would be a good idea for Harry to be in contact with a dark creature like myself. He had a childhood ahead of him, he didn't need-"

Remus Lupin was cut off as Sirius launched himself from his chair. Faster than even the werewolf's reflexes could follow, the former Azkaban inmate slugged his old friend in the jaw, pushing him backwards and tipping the armchair over.

"_**Goddammit, Remus, when are you going to fucking stop the pity party about being a werewolf!" **_Sirius roared as he advanced on the fallen man.

Enraged, Remus shot to his feet and swung wildly at his opponent. He was surprised when his werewolf-speed blow missed as Sirius dodged out of the way. Caught off-balance, he was in no position to block Sirius' next punch that caught him in the stomach.

"_**You've never gotten past it, have you? Yes, you're a fucking werewolf! Get over it, we did! Quit letting Moony run your bloody life and be a man for once!" **_Sirius continued.

"_**Like you know what it is like!" **_Remus shouted back as he recovered from the blow to his gut. He snapped out a kick which caught Sirius in the knee, sending the man tumbling to the carpet. _**"You don't know what it is like to have a monster waiting to escape!"**_

"_**Like being a Black meant it was all fluffiness and kittens!" **_Sirius shouted. _**"I had half of the school treating me like a Death Eater in training, even after James stood up for me! I was thrown into prison on the basis of my last name for God's sake!" **_

Remus snarled and launched himself at the other man, only to be caught in a wrestling hold and pulled to the ground. The two gave up any attempt to speak as they set about trying to pummel each other into a pulp.

Normally Remus would have had the advantage, as even in his normal state he had improved strength, stamina and reflexes from his werewolf side. What he did not know was that the Black family had a long history of hunting exotic and magical creatures, including werewolves. The potion Sirius had taken earlier was an old Black recipe meant to give a hunter a short period of super-strength, inhuman stamina and lightning fast reflexes...all to give a "regular human" an advantage over any werewolf in any state.

That combined with the brutal hand-to-hand fighting lessons that all sons of the Black family were obliged to go through from an early age (and old tradition meant to give a surprise to anybody who thought a Black without a wand was defenceless) meant that Remus was quickly on the back-foot and losing badly.

Sirius generally avoided using any of the Black family's stock of private potions, as they generally weren't all that safe. This particular brew was dangerously addictive and had severe long-term health consequences if used regularly.

Eventually Remus found himself flat on his back and too woozy to get back up. He saw a battered Sirius Black standing over him, but could not muster the strength to have another go at him.

"Damn it, Remus, you're too important to spend your life wasting away fretting about Moony. Get up and get over it, you have too many responsibilities to be this damn selfish. I need you, and Harry needs us both. He needs us both working at our best. If you can't live for yourself, try to live for him OK?"

Remus just nodded, and it hurt.

"Good. Now let's get cleaned up and get you moved out of this hovel. I have more than enough houses with more spare rooms than I can count, we'll find some place to stay."

Remus nodded again, it still hurt. Sirius leaned down and helped the werewolf to his feet.

"Shake?" Sirius asked as he offered his hand.

Remus took the offered hand and shook it. That hurt, too. Though this time the physical pain seemed the least of it.

* * *

><p>Harry sat in the front row and watched as the wedding ceremony got underway. Keiichi was standing at the front, looking immaculate in his new suit but also extremely nervous. Next to him was some person from a club that Keiichi was apparently a member of, standing in as the Best Man.<p>

Harry looked over his shoulder as the music changed, and saw Belldandy enter at the far end of the room on the arm of some man Harry did not recognise. He looked very imposing and impressive, Harry guessed that it must be Belldandy's father. As he was looking the other way, the Boy-Who-Lived did not notice that Keiichi's nervousness doubled as Belldandy entered.

Eventually the bride arrived at the altar, and the celebrant began.

"Dearly beloved..." Harry checked to see that the translation charm Urd had given him was still in place. The whole wedding was being held in Japanese and Harry's understanding was not up to the task of following things yet.

For Harry it was a bit confusing. He was not entirely sure just what it meant to be married. Obviously his aunt and uncle had been married but he had been told that they were not good role models for anything. His parents had been married but he could not remember anything about them beyond a few fragments of memory so that did not help.

He resolved to listen to the service as well as he could and see if what was being said would help. There were vows that Keiichi and Belldandy made to each other which seemed to make sense, declarations from the celebrant about love and duty and things like that which made less sense and a lot of crying bridesmaids which made no sense at all. Harry eventually decided that he'd just ask Aunty Urd about it all later.

Finally, rings were exchanged and Keiichi kissed Belldandy. Then, after some other things that Harry did not quite catch, the newly married couple walked slowly back down the length of the room to the sound of what Harry had been told was Mendelssohn's Wedding March. It sounded familiar to Harry, though he was not sure where he had heard it before.

After the bride and groom had departed, everybody else made their way to the reception which was close by. Harry did try to ask Urd about many of the details which had confused him, which amused Urd no end.

"Don't worry about it, Harry. You're a bit young to understand a lot of this. We'll talk tomorrow when we have more time, but I think for some of it you'll just have to wait until you are older. OK?"

Harry nodded. Whatever it all meant, it had made Aunty Bell and Uncle K very happy. That had to be a good thing.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes: <strong>It has been a while since the last update. This should be the last chapter before I get into the Hogwarts story arc.

I copped out on the wedding because frankly I'm not sure I can do it justice. I've decided to leave a lot of it to the imagination - venue, participants, exact details of the ceremony, the music - just think big and spectacular and work from there. Considering that one half of the guests would have been deities and the supernatural...

A few people have commented in their reviews that Urd was not denied 1st class status because she tells lies. I know this, but Skuld doesn't, and that part was written from Skuld's point of view.

Regarding Welsper - Welsper is a demon who was sentenced to live as a cat for a major crime. The gender confusion arises because Welsper the demon is male, but Welsper the cat is female (the gender bending is part of the punishment). Belldandy does not know the true nature of why Welsper is with the Norns or the punishment (and isn't going to find out any time soon) but Keiichi, Urd and Skuld all know.

Hild is Urd's mother, but has no relation to Belldandy or Skuld. Hild is also the effective ruler of Niflheim. Urd does not like her mother, in large part due to Urd rather dogmatically staying to her goddess side while ignoring her demon ancestry. I rather like Hild as a character and I wish I could write her in more than I have, but to be honest I doubt I could do her justice and it would introduce horrendous complications in the plot.

Next time: Harry's letter arrives. Yes! After all this time, I finally get close to Hogwarts!

Until then, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thanks for reading.


	14. Chapter 14: Something Old, Something New

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter or Oh My Goddess.

* * *

><p>The return to Britain was every bit as stressful as travelling to Japan had been, but by this stage Harry was used to the process and had a good idea of what to expect. It helped that everybody took a day off to relax after their return to Hinckley before they resumed their routine.<p>

For Harry that meant returning to school, his lessons in magic and his sessions with Monkey. This was now a familiar routine that Harry could work through with growing confidence in his own abilities. He had no need to fear that his results would be compared against Dudley's and earn him a punishment if they were better. His teachers offered encouragement and congratulations as the circumstances required, while his family received all positive news from the school with nothing but warmly stated enthusiasm.

Urd went back to her shop, which had now reached a level of popularity that ensured its success. This meant that Urd was busier than ever trying to keep up with demand, something she found quite taxing when combined with the potions lessons she had started to teach Harry.

Skuld seemed to spend all of her time buried inside of the simulator she had constructed, catching up on years of magical training. She would emerge for meals and to sleep, but was otherwise engaged for almost every waking moment. What spare time she did have was spent making additions to the renovation work that had now begun in earnest on the old church.

Belldandy was also heavily involved in the renovations being undertaken, as she had become the project manager by default. She spent her days fielding questions from the builders and sorting out building supplies, in between cooking for her family and giving Harry magic lessons. She was also spending as much time as she could manage with her husband.

Keiichi was also involved in the renovation work, though his job took up most of his time. He was also taking Harry to the bike club almost every weekend to continue their motor-biking experiences; neither person called them "lessons" any more as Harry had picked up the basics quickly enough that the two were now riding for the sheer joy of it.

Welsper had finally been brought home and integrated into the family, though given that she spent most of her time sleeping it was not a big change. Apparently even magic cats needed 23 hours of sleep a day.

All in all, Harry's family had reached a routine state of happy predictability. Which naturally meant that something else was due to happen.

* * *

><p>Sirius Black leaned back from the desk he had been working at and looked at the product of his efforts. He did not write letters this formal very often, and he had been forced to go back to the old books his mother had once used to try and educate him in the "proper ways of society".<p>

After he had effectively left his blood relations, Sirius had believed that he would never need any of those lessons in etiquette again. Life had apparently conspired against him.

_I can't afford to screw this up, _he thought as he read through the letter, _I don't want to alienate Harry's new family. If I am ever going to have any sort of relationship with Harry, I'll need to work with these people._

Sirius had been very surprised when Dumbledore had told him about the Odinsdotter family. There had never been any mention at all of any relatives in Scandinavia. Not that Lily had ever talked about any of her family beyond her parents.

_From what Dumbledore said, it looks like another muggle family torn apart by the Statute of Secrecy. It wouldn't be the first time and I doubt it will be the last. _The Black Heir Apparent thought as he signed the letter and reached for the materials needed to attach a seal.

After the wax of the seal had set, he carefully rolled the parchment up and walked to the manor's owlery. On the way he passed Remus Lupin, who glanced up from the scroll he had been reading. The werewolf had made a serious effort to turn over a new leaf following his rather painful wake-up call and was currently working on helping Sirius secure his position as the next Lord Black.

Both men had a hunch that the political power associated with that title would be necessary in the years ahead. It was obvious that the magical society of Britain had not improved a great deal since the fall of the Dark Lord, and Harry's fame as the "Boy-Who-Lived" would inevitably see him dragged into the toxic political game that the Ministry and old families played on a daily basis.

The remaining loyal Marauders were determined that they would be well placed to help Harry when the game finally turned on him. To that end there was very little that they would not do to help the only son of their departed friends.

_The Ministry can wait for now. _Sirius thought firmly as he secured his letter to an owl. _Step one: get in contact with Harry and earn the trust of his family._

* * *

><p>Dame Augusta Longbottom, regent of the Noble and Most Ancient Family of Longbottom, strode down Diagon Alley purposefully. Those who saw her coming were quick to get out of her way. Years of fighting the internal family political battles that had sprung up in the wake of her son's incapacitation had given the matriarch a no-nonsense attitude that was almost palpable.<p>

Augusta had been a proud member of the Longbottom family after her marriage into it, and had been delighted at the success and popularity of her son Frank. It had turned to ashes after the Death Eater attack that had almost killed her son and daughter-in-law, placing the Longbottom family into a bit of a crisis. Frank had been the head of the family following the death of his father, and with Neville too young to take over the position had been left in something of a grey area.

Had Frank died it would have been a lot simpler. Augusta would have taken over as regent, acting on Neville's behalf until the boy reached his majority. With Frank still alive but officially incompetent, plus the persistent rumours surrounding Neville's magical strength, Augusta had found herself confronted with many attempts to have the family head position passed to other branches of the family.

Augusta's response had been direct and to the point: over her dead body. Several duels that had resulted in the crippled bodies of her opponents and the official challenges ended, but that had not stopped the persistent attempts to undermine her authority.

Recent events, however, offered a new avenue of approach. The magical community had, when not being rocked by the revelations of the Black Scandal, been buzzing with news of the new Potions Mistress that had set up shop in Diagon Alley. That this new store had secured contracts with St Mungo's, the Ministry and several major Quidditch teams within weeks of opening had everybody gossiping. The overall conclusion was that this Urd person must be remarkably skilled.

Augusta Longbottom had heard more than that thanks to her extensive network of contacts within St Mungo's. She knew that Urd did not just produce the highest quality potions to have been seen in Britain since the 19th century - she also created improved versions that were significantly better than the original products.

Never one to miss an opportunity, Augusta opened the door to "Urd's Elegant Potions" and entered with her usual forceful presence fully on display.

Approaching the counter, she saw the young silver-haired woman absently leafing through a copy of "Witches Weekly". Clearing her throat gently, the Longbottom matriarch was pleased to see that Urd did not need any more prompting.

"Miss Urd?" She began.

"I am she." Urd replied with a small smile.

"I am given to understand that you are Potions Mistress of considerable talent." Augusta continued.

Urd nodded. "I think it is not immodest to say that I am at the top of my craft."

Augusta paused a moment before continuing. "I have a...project I wish you to undertake. I am not sure if it is strictly within your field of expertise, but at this stage I have exhausted all other avenues of approach."

Urd considered the old woman carefully. "Perhaps you would care to explain further?"

Augusta swallowed and prepared to grasp the nettle by the thorns. "I want you to look into the condition of my son and his wife. They were subjected to the Cruciatus curse until they suffered from some sort of mental break many years ago. All attempts to treat them have failed. I have approached you in the hope that you might bring a new perspective that will allow for some progress..."

* * *

><p>Belldandy held the formal letter and examined the seal. She was unsure why the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black would be contacting her in such a formal manner. Shrugging slightly, she broke the seal and unrolled the parchment.<p>

After quickly reading through the letter, she lowered it to her desk as she considered her options. _This might complicate things. On the other hand, those complications might be very welcome and useful._

It seemed that Sirius Black was Harry's godfather, and wished to get back into contact with the young Potter heir. Belldandy was unfamiliar with the former prisoner, and was concerned that the arrival of the heir to the house of Black might complicate any custody matters.

Then again, Sirius had only asked for a meeting at this stage. It looked like he was willing to simply talk at this point. If nothing else, it would allow the Norns to get a measure of the man.

Nodding to herself, Belldandy reached for writing materials. It was time to use her calligraphy skills and send a formal reply to match the missive she had received.

* * *

><p>Fortunately for Albus Dumbledore, life at Hogwarts had calmed down to what passed for normal in the magical school. Severus Snape had managed to adjust his approach to school discipline to a degree sufficient to keep Minerva McGonagall satisfied. She had even started to call him "Severus" again in private, after having taken to barking out "Snape" for a while. Aurora Sinistra had also apparently come to some sort of settlement with the Potions Master, as the two were no longer sniping at each other during staff meetings.<p>

The appointment of the Astronomy Professor to be the new Head of Gryffindor House had proven to be very successful. With a member of staff on hand to assist with issues before they developed into anything too problematic, the House had been visibly happier and less stressed than at any time in the previous decade. Of course, the young Weasley twins seemed to be determined to be the new Marauders, with pranking activity reaching levels not seen since the infamous quartet graduated.

In all, the calm at Hogwarts was a considerable relief for the Headmaster, as he was constantly distracted by the ongoing political fight at the Ministry. Minister Bagnold was fighting to stay in office, in spite of the general shift of public opinion against her. Dumbledore was finding himself engaged in almost daily meetings with other light-sided members of the Wizengamot and Ministry, all in an effort to shore up support for Cornelius Fudge. The "compromise candidate" was proving difficult to sell, as the man's career up to that point had been one that seemed to avoid making waves. With little to no evidence of any leadership skills on show, Dumbledore was having to argue from the perspective of maintaining political stability.

It was not a message that many of his colleagues on the light side of politics were willing to hear.

Still, Albus was confident that the new Minister would be in office by August. After that, the Ministry would be able to bury the last vestiges of the Black Scandal in the back pages of the Daily Prophet. Maybe some star Quidditch player would do them all a favour and have an affair or two...

* * *

><p>Sirius Black sat impatiently in the drawing room of the old Black Manor in Leicestershire. Located just outside of Leicester itself, it was the closest property the Black Family had to Hinckley. Sirius hoped that the proximity to Harry's new home town would be useful in the future.<p>

Unfortunately, his plans for re-establishing contact with his godson had been disrupted by a letter he had received from Narcissa Malfoy. Apparently his cousin wanted to discuss matters of importance, or at least of importance to Narcissa. Sirius was certain that the status of her son in the Black Family would be the main topic of discussion.

"She's here, Sirius." Remus interrupted, sticking his head around the door. Sirius nodded, and Remus left to escort the Lady Malfoy in.

_She's aged well, _Sirius thought clinically as his cousin entered, _though how much is thanks to potions and glamours is something I'll likely never know._

"Greetings, cousin. How are you today?" Sirius said as Narcissa stopped in front of him.

"I am well, cousin. I trust you have been keeping well?" Was the somewhat stiff response.

"Well enough. Would you care to be seated?" Sirius replied as he turned to a set of over-stuffed armchairs.

Narcissa nodded and regally seated herself. Sirius did not quite sprawl, but he did adopt a more relaxed posture.

"I'd offer some refreshment, but I think we will both be happier if we just cut to the chase and get down to business. Am I right?" Sirius said once he was comfortable.

Narcissa looked tense, but she nodded. "Agreed."

Sirius looked at his cousin levelly. "So, tell me. What brings you here today, cousin Narcissa?"

Narcissa braced herself and went for broke. "My son. Draco."

"What about him?" Sirius asked disinterestedly.

"I want to discuss his future with the Black Family." Narcissa said as she stared at Sirius intently.

Sirius shrugged. "As I understand, he will be the head of the Malfoy Family one day. The affairs of the House of Black should be of no interest to him."

"Don't be a fool," Narcissa hissed, "you know full well that he is in the line of succession for the Black Family."

Sirius glared. "I do. Though I can easily change that at any time, and just might. Remember your place here, cousin, and don't try my patience."

"My apologies," Narcissa said contritely, "I did not mean to-"

"Yes you did. You always did have a superiority complex, 'Cissa, looking down on the rest of us. Especially after I was sorted at Hogwarts." Sirius said with some heat. Narcissa looked down, unwilling to speak.

Sirius dropped his glare after a few tense moments. "Let's get down to brass tacks here. You don't want to see your son cast out of the House of Black. Nor do you want to see yourself cast out. So you're here to see what it will take to keep the one member of the family that you treated with the most disrespect and disdain from taking any petty revenge."

Narcissa just nodded, not wanting to provoke the man in front of her.

Sirius glanced at a curio on the mantlepiece. "Well, I'll be open with you. There is no way in hell that I am ever allowing the son of a Death Eater to succeed me as the next Lord Black."

Narcissa looked up at that. "Lucius was pardoned at his trial."

Sirius snorted. "Don't even try. I fought that son of a bitch on two occasions - don't argue that I couldn't possibly tell through the mask, your beloved husband could never resist the temptation to taunt his opponents and I'd know his voice anywhere. I've seen victims of the Imperius in the aftermath of Death Eater raids, and I saw enough to know that 'Lucius' was never subjected to it. We usually had to restrain Imperius victims to prevent them from killing themselves, your precious husband has never shown the slightest sign of remorse. He's a Death Eater, unrepentant and only free due to bribes I can't prove."

Narcissa looked away again. Sirius resumed speaking after a small pause.

"If you want your son to have any future in the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, make sure he is not like his father. He'll be attending Hogwarts in a year's time with my godson, I'll be interested to see what he's like as a person. I'll interview young Draco formally after he has finished his OWLs, and get my measure of him then. And if he turns out to be another bigoted bastard like his father..."

Sirius leaned forward and looked Narcissa in the eyes. "...I'll cast the little git out of the family faster than you'd believe possible. You have six years, Narcissa, six years to make Draco a wizard worthy of the name Black. You had better make the most of that time."

Narcissa nodded again. "Understood, cousin."

Sirius leaned back. "Excellent. Then I think we should adjourn."

Narcissa stood and moved towards the door. She stopped as Sirius spoke up again.

"Oh, and just so that you know...Andromeda is back in the family. Officially. Young Nymphadora has been officially brought into the family fold along with that. And Bellatrix has been disowned, totally. I'll let you know what the means as far as her vaults go, there are Black family heirlooms that will need to be retrieved...not to mention some of her money which the Family will reclaim."

Narcissa whirled to face him. "Why?" She whispered.

"Bellatrix Lestrange attacked the Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Longbottom, a family which the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black has a long history of shared alliances and common marriages." Sirius said formally. "As such, Bellatrix betrayed the House of Black and has been cast out. Do remember your family history, cousin Narcissa, the Longbottoms have been much closer to the Blacks than the Malfoys and Lestranges have ever been."

Narcissa nodded stiffly, doing her best to hold back tears. She left the room with as much dignity as she could muster, while Sirius smirked behind her.

* * *

><p>Belldandy seated herself at the head of the table as the rest of the family looked at the small feast with some anticipation. Smiling gently, Belldandy cleared her throat and caught everybody's attention.<p>

"I have a few things to say before we eat. First of all, I have received a letter from Sirius Black. He would like to meet us all and talk to Harry."

Harry looked surprised. "Why does he want to talk to me?"

"Sirius Black was a close friend of your parents and is your godfather. He would have taken responsibility for taking care of you in 1981 but other circumstances prevented it. He has only recently been able to re-establish contact with you, but does not want to disrupt our family in the process. So, would you like to meet him?" Belldandy explained.

Harry thought about it. "I guess so. He might be able to tell me about my parents."

"I'm sure he would be delighted to. Now, for some important news." Belldandy said, before she stopped for some reason.

"Yes, sis?" Urd prompted.

Belldandy seemed to come to a decision. "There's no easy way of saying this, so..." she turned to Keiichi, who looked puzzled. "I'm pregnant."

There was a stunned silence, which was broken by the sound of Keiichi hitting the floor after passing out.

Harry sat in stunned silence. He knew, intellectually at least, what Belldandy had meant by her statement, as he had read a book in his old school library one lunch time when hiding from Dudley that had explained the concept in terms he could understand. Now he was wondering what this meant for him. Belldandy noticed his apprehensive look and moved to reassure him as her sisters inspected Keiichi.

"Harry, you're going to have a brother or sister. It will be wonderful!"

Harry perked up a bit. Aunty Bell looked so happy, he could not help but return her smile.

* * *

><p>Urd doodled on a blank piece of paper as she thought about the task she had received from Augusta Longbottom. The previous day had seen Urd take a trip to St Mungo's to evaluate Frank and Alice Longbottom.<p>

_Their symptoms are odd. They've lost critical memories that are key to the foundation of their old personalities, effectively resulting in new people in their bodies. Some issues with the formation of long term memories, short term memory is slightly erratic, they can associate some people with their normal interactions like young Neville bringing her sweets. Probably not competent to take care of themselves, though given that they've been under care since the attack I can't be sure about that._

Urd glanced at a book of mental illness that she had open on the desk next to her. _It sounds like a version of what the doctors on Earth would call Alzheimer's disease. Now, how would I go about curing that...I might be able to use that as an avenue of approach for the Longbottoms. If I can cure Frank and Alice, the success of my shop is guaranteed!_

Urd reached over to a rather full shelf of books and grabbed an old tome that had runes on the spine.

_Should be right about - here! Alright, found it! OK, I need to start with some seeds from one of Idunn's apples..._

* * *

><p>After Belldandy had contacted Sirius Black, a reunion between the Marauder and his godson had been organised. Accordingly, Sirius and Remus found themselves at the front door of Harry's new home in Hinckley on a Saturday afternoon. The visit was meant to reduce the number of people involved, as Sun Wukong would have finished for the day and Urd was tied up in her new shop.<p>

"Big place," Remus muttered as they inspected the old church that seemed to be part of the property, "it looks like they've got some wealth."

"I'd say so," Sirius said musingly, noting that the church currently had a large construction crew working on it, "probably means I won't have to provide financial support like we were planning."

Remus nodded, before he turned his attention to the front door of Harry's new abode. His time spent in the muggle world meant that he was more familiar with the architecture that confronted them. He quickly spotted a button for a door bell and pressed it.

In short order, the door opened to reveal a young woman with honey-brown hair. "Oh, hello. You must be Sirius Black and Remus Lupin."

"That we are." Sirius said with a rakish grin. "I take it that you are Belldandy?"

"Yes, I am. Please, do come in." Belldandy said as she moved to allow the two men in.

"Thank you. I am Remus, and he is Sirius." Remus said by way of introduction as the two Marauders entered the house.

"Harry? Your godfather is here." Belldandy called out as the trio walked into the living room.

Harry emerged from the kitchen a moment later, looking slightly apprehensive.

"Hello?" Harry asked in a tentative tone.

Sirius fought down an urge to rush over and sweep his godson up in a hug. "Hello, Harry, it has been a long time."

* * *

><p>Urd's eyes gleamed as she watched her potion slowly drip into the beaker from the filter suspended above it. It was a masterpiece; created by combining elements of a youth potion with several memory potions and at least one potion designed to increase intelligence.<p>

Of course, the creation of a potion this complicated was not the easiest of activities. This was attempt number six. The first five attempts had either blown up or had burned through the Pyrex containers Urd used for her concoctions.

_This should undo the damage done by that horrible magic. The youth potion should only affect the brain, any other effects should be so small that nobody will notice them. They might end up slightly smarter than they were before the attack, but that's unlikely._

She had been so caught up in her work that she had not noticed that she had several important inquiries from her superiors sitting in her email. They were all related to the improper use of materials found only in Asgard.

* * *

><p>In Hinckley, Sirius had finished explaining just why he had been absent from Harry's life since 1981. Remus had been fairly quiet as to his whereabouts, but Sirius was not going to draw attention to that if he could avoid it.<p>

"So, what now?" Harry asked.

Sirius sighed. "Well, I'm not going to take you away from your relatives here, Harry. Don't worry about that. While I didn't know that Lily had family in Norway, it is obvious that you are far better off here than anywhere else in Britain right now."

Harry nodded uncertainly. Sirius took this as a sign to continue.

"What I want at this stage is to participate in your upbringing. I can explain to you how the magical world works, who the important people are and so on. That way you'll have a good idea as to what is going on when you go to Hogwarts."

"Do I have to go to Hogwarts?" Harry asked.

Sirius pursed his lips before he answered. "No, you don't. There's nothing to force you to go there. I would really like you to do so, and I know that Lily and James would want you to as well. But in the end it is entirely up to you. Though you'll still need to be taught how to use your magic safely. I guess we'd continue the home schooling that Belldandy has already started."

Harry nodded again. "I guess I'll decide when it is time to go. When is that?"

Remus spoke up at this point. "You'll receive a letter of invitation on your eleventh birthday, Harry. If you accept the invitation, you'd start at Hogwarts on the first of September, 1991."

Harry thought about it for a moment. Ultimately he didn't need to make a decision then and there, so he decided to leave it for the future.

"In the mean time," Sirius said as he turned to Keiichi, who had been watching the meeting from a corner of the room, "I understand that you have been teaching Harry how to ride a bike?"

Keiichi looked a little startled to be dragged into the conversation. "Er, yes I have. We built his mini-bike together and we have been practicing most weekends at the course outside town."

"Excellent," Sirius said, "I built my own bike as well, you know. Can we have a look at Harry's? Want to show me your bike, Harry?"

Harry's eyes lit up. "Sure!"

* * *

><p>Urd watched with satisfaction as the Longbottom family had a proper reunion for the first time since 1981. Her potion had been a success, with both Frank and Alice now able to recall their own past and create new memories properly.<p>

Of course, their treatment was not yet complete. Even with Urd's potion repairing the damage to their minds, they had a lot of therapy in front of them before they could become functional adults again. Not to mention the fact that rebuilding their family was going to take months if not years.

Still, Urd knew that she had started the ball rolling on the full recovery of the Longbottoms. As far as she was concerned, it was now inevitable that Frank and Alice would leave St Mungo's with completely clean bills of health.

Turning, she walked off towards the nearest public floo point. She had some things to tidy up at her shop before she returned home. With any luck, she'd still be able to get home before the meeting between Sirius Black and Harry had finished...

Urd paused as she spotted a familiar figure leaning on the fireplace of the public floo point. It was Peorth, dressed conservatively for a change. The first class goddess noticed Urd and walked over.

"Bonjour, Urd. I am here to investigate why you have been using restricted ingredients for a potion not necessary for your Prophecy Fulfilment task."

Urd winced. _Oops._

* * *

><p>Sirius Black left Harry's home with a satisfied air.<p>

"Remember, Harry, I'll be back next Sunday. I'll bring my bike with me, and we can practice riding together. OK?" He said as he stopped just outside the front door.

"Sure!" Harry said with a wide smile. Meeting his godfather had been good - they shared an interest in motorbikes and both Sirius and Remus had plenty of stories about Harry's parents.

"Great! See you next weekend then." Sirius said with a wink. Remus nodded, and the two men walked off to find a secluded location to apparate.

"Any reason why we aren't using their floo to get home, Sirius?" Remus asked as they moved out of earshot of Harry and his guardians.

Sirius sighed. "The same reason we didn't use it to get here. The floo at the manor isn't hooked up right now."

Remus blinked in surprise. "Why is that?"

Sirius glanced around, checking for eavesdroppers. "Nobody has used the place since the 1960s. The Floo Authority disables any floo points that go unused for more than ten years, even if you pay the bills. For the manor, I figure that my father or grandfather probably had them close it off to save money.

Remus nodded in understanding. "So, what are your thoughts on Harry?"

Sirius whistled through clenched teeth. "I do not like what has happened to him since '81. If it weren't for the fact that I know what Blood Wards can do, I'd be going to give the Dursleys hell right now. As it is, though, Harry has a good family to look after him. They'll take care of him, provide the love he needs and keep him safe."

"Safe?" Remus echoed. "How could you tell that?"

"Two things," Sirius said as they spotted a convenient place for apparation, "the first is that I know a thing or two about wards. I gave Harry's house a quick scan, and all I can say is that I doubt that any place in Britain is better protected. Except maybe Hogwarts. Belldandy said that they warded the place after they moved in, so they know a thing or two about defence."

"OK, that's one reason." Remus said slowly. "What was the other?"

Sirius grinned mirthlessly. "From what I could get out of Dumbledore, he must have tried to take Harry away from his new family. He didn't get his way, obviously, so Belldandy and her sisters must have done something to make him keep his distance. Whatever it was, if it was enough to give Albus Dumbledore a scare..."

"...then it should be enough to give any wannabe Death Eaters second thoughts." Remus finished.

Sirius nodded firmly. "Exactly. At any rate, let's get home. I feel a good steak and kidney pie calling out to me."

Remus sighed. They really had to graduate beyond bachelor cooking.

* * *

><p>Narcissa Malfoy sipped from a cup of tea as she thought about the ultimatums she had received from Sirius Black.<p>

The whole meeting had been a bit of a shock. She remembered Sirius from before he had been cast out of the family home, and from the time that they had both been at Hogwarts together. That Sirius had been a prank-loving fool who was entirely disinterested in family politics. Considering his antipathy towards the attitudes held by the main family, Narcissa had been unsurprised when Sirius had ignored a threat to have the succession passed on to Regulus.

The Sirius Black she had met earlier, however, was an entirely different kettle of fish. He had taken on the Black Lordship without hesitation, and had shifted into the role with apparent ease. Narcissa had expected to be able to appeal to Sirius' empathy and manoeuvre him into guaranteeing Draco a place in the family.

Azkaban had obviously changed the man. Narcissa now had to make sure that Draco would meet Sirius' standards or he would be cast out of the Black Family altogether. While the family assets and money would not be an insurmountable loss considering the Malfoy fortune, the damage to Draco's reputation in Pureblood society would be enormous. It would scupper any chance of ever achieving any sort of high office in the Wizengamot.

Lucius Malfoy was a good example of just how damaging it could be to find your path to the Wizengamot blocked. In spite of his acquittal, Lucius had not been able to secure a seat in the Wizengamot in spite of hundreds of man-hours of political wrangling. The blow to his reputation that resulted from his trial had left his political ambitions dead in the water. Lucius was instead forced to work through proxies and by using his wealth to garner influence with senior Ministry officials. While this did achieve Lucius' goals most of the time, it slowed things down to a crawl.

Narcissa's uncle had once been able to get new legislation enacted a mere week after he had decided to move on the issue, all thanks to a well-established network of friends, patronage and favours owed. Lucius' best effort so far had been four months from start to finish.

Narcissa did not want to see Draco grow up under a the same sort of cloud that had cast a permanent shadow on Lucius' career. To that end she had to turn Draco into the kind of person that Sirius could at least tolerate, even if her cousin was unlikely to ever do more than that.

Unfortunately for Narcissa, Lucius' influence was quite strong. He had been a significant presence in Draco's life up until now, partially thanks to Lucius spending most of his time working from home.

_I'll have to change that. I'll persuade Lucius to work harder on his business empire and build a larger capital base. That ought to keep him out of the manor a bit more. I'll persuade him that I can take over Draco's home-schooling to allow him more time to expand his business activities. All I have to do is say that I'll be giving Draco the type of political education that the Blacks were famous for and he won't even bother to pay attention._

Narcissa nodded to herself as she set her tea-cup down. She had a goal, and a plan to get there. Now all she needed to do was find out how her plan would react when it met the real world.

* * *

><p>When Urd returned home, she looked slightly shell-shocked. Harry did not notice as he was engaged in a life-or-death struggle with Skuld in some two-player racing game on the Sega. Belldandy noticed immediately and escorted her sister to a room where they could talk privately.<p>

"What happened, Urd dear?" Belldandy asked with some concern.

Urd winced. "I went overboard on a project. Peorth came down to give me a rap over the knuckles for it."

Belldandy gave Urd a disappointed look. "What did you do this time, Urd?"

Urd looked away. "I was approached by Augusta Longbottom. She wanted me to work on a cure for her son and daughter in law. The Longbottoms are important politically, so I jumped at the chance to build up some more political capital."

Belldandy just continued to stare at her sister. Urd hurried to continue.

"They had something similar to what the doctors here call Alzheimer's disease. So I created a cure for the Longbottoms based on one I knew would work for Alzheimer's."

"Urd, I know what that disease is like. No ordinary potion would cure it." Belldandy said firmly.

Urd winced again. "Yeah. So I ended up using some ingredients from Asgard that I shouldn't have."

Belldandy's disappointed look turned into a glare. "What did you use, Urd?"

Urd looked at the ceiling. "Oh, not much, really. Just a few seeds from one of Idunn's apples, a few hairs from Sleipner, some mint from Father's garden."

Belldandy shook her head. "Urd, those are not things to even bring to Midgard, let alone use in a potion meant for mortals! Do you know what you could have done?"

Urd was now looking at her feet. "Yeah, I know. But the cure worked as I thought it would! The Longbottoms are now on the path to recovery! This will help us a lot!"

"And what happens the next time somebody asks you to cure a condition that you'll need ingredients from Asgard for?" Belldandy asked softly.

Urd stopped dead. "Um, I'll just have to say that the ingredients for the Longbottoms were really rare, and that I can't get new stock in."

Belldandy shook her head. "Urd, you've now got a reputation as a person who can heal seemingly untreatable afflictions. You'll need to make sure that you don't end up besieged by every mortal in magical Britain who wants a miracle cure. Tonight we'll craft a spell that will help the magical community to lose interest in this incident, so that it won't be front page news tomorrow."

Urd gasped. "But what about the Longbottoms? They'll know it was me and what I did. Plus we might need their help down the road!"

Belldandy looked stern. "They'll be left with the knowledge of what you did and why it was important, but they won't see fit to publicise your role. Rest assured that they will feel gratitude, but you won't get the credit for this in the wider community."

Urd pouted. She was losing a golden opportunity to enhance her shop's reputation!

Belldandy sighed. _Once again, my sister fails to think of the wider implications. I suppose it was inevitable that she would start doing this again once we were established here._

* * *

><p>The introduction of Sirius Black and Remus Lupin into Harry's life offered only a minor disruption to the routine of the Hinckley household. Both men understood that Harry was busy during the week with school and extra-curricular activities, so weekends became the usual time that they would visit. With Saturdays filled with Sun Wukong's lessons and time spent with Belldandy, Sunday became an unofficial "Marauder's day".<p>

Harry came to look forward to visits from his godfather, as Sirius was almost as keen a motorcyclist as Keiichi. The three of them were often at the bike course out of town, taking full advantage of the tracks. Sirius was learning as well, as he could not use the magical abilities he had given his bike (politely but firmly retrieved from Hagrid) a decade earlier. Forced to ride "muggle style", he found that Keiichi was significantly more skilled.

For Keiichi, teaching his adopted son and Sirius was a true joy. He'd often been forced into a teaching role in the Motor Club and those memories allowed him to easily shift into the role of instructor. Remus had been persuaded to join in as well, and was surprised to discover that he was often taking advice from Harry on the art of motorbike riding.

Of greater impact on Harry was the impending arrival of Belldandy and Keiichi's first child. The renovations on the old church had been given a new impetus as Belldandy was sure that they would need the extra room. Harry was increasingly finding himself being brought into planning sessions with the entire family as the plan of room allocations was drafted and redrafted.

Any worry that Harry might have had that the arrival of a child might have decreased his own standing in the family was quickly overcome as Belldandy gently but steadily pushed Harry towards becoming the "big brother" in the family.

Harry's training with Sun Wukong was going well, as were his lessons in magic. He was now able to confidently summon objects across rooms with just a thought, and had started on basic transfiguration. His martial arts skills were also progressing well, with Monkey quickly moving on to more advanced lessons of offensive and defensive magic that were incorporated into katas. This training was kept secret from Sirius and Remus, as the Norns did not want anybody outside of the family to know about Harry's skill with wandless magic.

In all, life for Harry had reached a new happy routine.

* * *

><p><span>10 June 1990<span>

"...I hereby declare that Cornelius Fudge is the new Minister of Magic." Dumbledore concluded at the end of a long and boring session in the Wizengamot.

Bagnold had finally been persuaded to go quietly, after Dumbledore had privately warned her that she would likely fail any motion of no confidence should one be put up. In order to keep the political peace, she had been granted a not ungenerous pension. She was already planning on several book deals and was apparently looking at moving overseas to escape the last taints of the Black Scandal.

The election of a new Minister had gone through quietly and uncontested after it became obvious that the Lights and Neutrals were lining up behind Fudge as a single bloc. The Darks had decided to avoid fighting an unwinnable battle and voted in favour to make it unanimous. No sense in alienating the new Minister on the first day, after all.

_Now to see just what type of Minister we have. _ Dumbledore thought to himself. There was already a private meeting between the Supreme Warlock and the Minister booked for the next day.

* * *

><p><span>21 June 1990<span>

"The winner of this year's House Cup is Ravenclaw!" Dumbledore announced with a flourish. The students of Ravenclaw cheered as the banners in the Great Hall changed colours to suit.

Sitting down after finishing his speech, Dumbledore eyed his staff members. Filius Flitwick was, for obvious reasons, in an extremely good mood and seemed to be enjoying a private joke with Hagrid. Severus Snape was glaring at the student body with his usual dour look. Minerva McGonagall seemed to be ignoring the events going on around her in favour of a conversation with Professor Vector. Pomona Sprout was directing a huge smile at the Hufflepuff table, lending half an ear to whatever it was that Sybil Trelawney was saying to her.

In all, Dumbledore was just glad to see the school get this far without the staff going into melt-down. Minerva's resignation as Head of Gryffindor House had started a cascade of events that had changed the school dynamic drastically, and it had been all that the elderly Headmaster could do to keep up.

With a new Head of House who was not quite so overworked, Gryffindor had a new champion who had been more than willing to put an end to the favouritism that House Slytherin had enjoyed since the arrival of Severus Snape as a staff member. With Severus' biased actions strictly curtailed, the House Cup competition had been the most even seen in decades.

Ultimately it had been the Ravenclaws' hard work on the academic front that had given them this year's cup. Gryffindor had ended up a poor third thanks to the efforts of the Weasley twins in first year, although said twins had also learned every nook and cranny of the castle thanks to the endless series of detentions assigned to them by their no-nonsense Head of House. Interestingly, Slytherin had ended up in last place, thanks mostly to rampant point losses incurred due to chronic bullying.

All of these changes had irritated the Potions Professor considerably, but Dumbledore was forced to concede that the students had never seemed happier. The last time Albus could remember spirits being this high had been before the rise of Voldemort.

The next challenge would be to see if the new state of affairs would continue. Before that, however, Albus had to find another teacher to take on Defence Against the Dark Arts.

* * *

><p><span>25 September 1990<span>

"Breathe, dear." Eir gently chided her charge. Belldandy did her best to comply, but was finding things just a trifle awkward.

"I know this isn't the easiest of things, but you've got a lot of joy waiting for you at the end." Eir said encouragingly as she silently cast a diagnostic charm. "Now, it looks like they're almost ready to join us, so let's get ready to push, OK?"

Outside the room, Keiichi was pacing nervously as Harry, Sirius and Remus sat on a bench and watched him. Harry was just as nervous as his father figure and looked it. Sirius and Remus were also nervous, but were a lot better at hiding it.

"You lot are getting all worked up for no good reason, you know that." Urd said as she leaned against a wall.

"How can you say that?" Skuld demanded from where she had been trying to allay her nerves by reading a magazine. "Belldandy is in there, and it's twins!"

Urd spared her youngest sister a small glance. "I have every confidence in Belldandy. She'll get through this easily, and will probably try to go right back to her normal routine tomorrow. Just be patient and relax, getting all worked up won't help anything."

After hour had passed, Eir emerged from the room with a broad smile on her face. "Everything has gone well. Keiichi, would you come in please?"

Keiichi somehow managed to keep his legs under control long enough to enter the room where his wife was resting. Belldandy was propped up in bed with her babies on either side.

"Hello, Keiichi dear. Come and meet your son, Týr Keima and your daughter, Takano Anzasu."

Keiichi's legs gave way just as he managed to find a chair next to his wife.

* * *

><p><span>15 March 1991<span>

"Today, I want to discuss how most wizards and witches are trained to defend themselves," Sun Wukong began, "your training has been more comprehensive, so you will need to get used to different styles of defence."

Harry nodded in understanding.

"You'll find that most wizards and witches in this country have a fairly limited view of how to fight with magic," the Monkey King went on, "they focus on their spells first and foremost. Hardly any of them think any further than which spell to cast at any given instant."

Harry's brow furrowed as he thought about this. "But doesn't that restrict them a lot?"

Sun Wukong nodded. "It does. The average wizard will cast a spell to create a magical shield as a first response, rather than simply dodge. Very few will think to use their magic to move objects around that might block their opponent, whether as a tripping hazard or a physical barrier to spells. The best of them will dodge and use their surrounding environment, but wouldn't even consider just ducking inside somebody's defence and striking them physically."

Harry was confused. "Why not?"

His sensei sighed. "It is cultural, mostly. They have been isolated from the non-magical world for so long that they have developed a mindset that pretty much compels them to use their magic as their first response to any challenge, whether it is cleaning up around the house or protecting their lives. As you can probably imagine, this is a limited viewpoint."

Harry nodded. "So all those techniques for weapon taking that we went through..."

"...can be used to take away a wizard's only defence against the world - their wand." Sun Wukong said with a small smile. He liked it when a student was able to think for themselves like this. "Knife taking techniques in particular are great for this, though I have found that some changes are required due to the differences in the threat posed by knives and wands."

"Hang on - only defence? Can't they do magic without a wand?" Harry asked, baffled. He had not even used a wand in any of his training so far.

Sun Wukong grinned. "You'll find, young Harry, that very few people in Britain ever get taught how to use their magic as you have been. You were taught to cast spells without any tool assisting you from the very beginning. Here in Britain, that skill is hardly ever taught and is considered very rare." _It is considered rare just about everywhere else as well, but you don't need to know that right now._

Harry looked astonished. "But it is so easy! Why don't they teach magic the way Belldandy does?"

"There are a lot of reasons, Harry. Fundamentally it boils down to the fact that it is a lot easier to teach children how to use a wand than it is to get a more complete understanding of their magic and how to use it." Urd interjected. "My family has always believed in undertaking a task properly, using the best approach rather than the easiest."

Harry nodded. He hardly ever saw his family use their wands around the house, though he knew they possessed them. "So by starting without a wand, I can get a better understanding of magic?"

"Correct." Urd said with a knowing smile. "As you know, once you turn 11 you will be eligible to attend the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry here in Britain. If you decide to go, we will get you a wand for it. All of the magic you learn there will use wands. You will find that being able to use your magic without a wand will be a significant advantage."

Harry nodded again, before he returned to the topic at hand. "What are the main differences between dealing with a knife and dealing with a wand?" Harry asked.

"Wands are ranged weapons, so you have to be a lot more pro-active. You must go to your opponent, rather than wait for them to attack you. Wands do not have any edge, so you can take the weapon directly rather than concentrate on the hand or wrist. And finally, wands are quite fragile when compared to a blade. Snapping it is fairly easy, and effectively destroys it as a weapon. So you need not even remove it from your opponent, simply breaking their wand while it is still in their hand will be enough." Sun Wukong explained.

Harry mulled over the techniques he already knew, working out how he could adapt some of them. "So the trick is to get in close and deny them their weapon, which in turn will deny them of most of their combat options?"

Sun Wukong nodded in acknowledgement. "In part. Remember that you have magic of your own, so you don't have to close the distance if you don't need to. Fighting with magic adds a whole new dimension, and it is a balancing act between knowing when to cast a spell and knowing when to engage in hand to hand. On some occasions, you may find it best to keep your distance and engage at range. On other occasions it will be best to get up close and personal as soon as possible. Knowing how to approach the battle is a large part of winning it, but that knowledge can only come with an intimate understanding of every option at your disposal."

"Understood, sensei." Harry said seriously.

"One thing, Harry," Urd interjected, "please do not tell anybody outside of our family that you do not need a wand to use your magic. Not even Sirius and Remus, until we say so. It is a very rare skill in this country, and public knowledge of your abilities would result in your fame growing ever larger."

Harry grimaced. He had been introduced to the fame of "the Boy-Who-Lived" by Sirius and Remus, who had warned him about the perception of "Harry Potter" in the wider magical community. The series of children's books drove the point home more effectively than anything else (even if everybody else he knew thought them hilarious). "Understood, Aunty Urd."

* * *

><p><span>31 July 1991<span>

Harry's third birthday in Hinckley had gone well. No longer jumping at shadows and fearful of making mistakes, Harry's celebration had involved most of his friends from school as well as his family. The party had been boisterous, with Sirius and Remus putting on a credible "muggle magic" show for the kids.

At the end of the day, after the guests had all gone home and the mess of the party had been cleaned away, a family conference was held. Sirius and Remus were in attendance as well, as the topic of tonight's meeting was one they could offer advice on.

There, in the middle of the table, was Harry's invitation to attend the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Everybody around the table was staring at the piece of innocuous looking parchment. Finally, Sirius broke the silence.

"Well, it isn't like this is a surprise."

Urd gently snorted. "Understatement of the year there, Padfoot."

Sirius nodded at the nickname. He had revealed his animagus form shortly after he started to visit Harry on a regular basis. Remus' condition had also been revealed, and to the relief of both men Harry's family had been fully understanding. Urd had gone so far as to provide free Wolfsbane potion on a regular basis.

"Well, we have been talking about this for the past month or so." Skuld offered. "I don't think we ever came to a conclusion, did we?"

"No, Skuld dear, we didn't." Belldandy said as she looked at Harry carefully.

Harry sighed. "OK, I'm really not sure about this. Going to a magic school sounds like fun, but I'm already learning magic here. Plus I have friends at my school here who wouldn't be going with me to this Hogwarts place."

Belldandy nodded, even as Sirius and Remus reacted with surprise at hearing about Harry's magical lessons. "That is true. As far as we know there are no other potential wizards or witches at your school right now."

Sirius leaned forward and rested his chin on his hands, having decided to table Harry's magical home schooling for the moment. "I'll be honest, Harry. I think you should go to Hogwarts. The first reason is that it is what your parents would have wanted. But there's more to it than that."

Harry looked up expectantly.

His godfather stared at the invitation intently. "Like it as not, you have a place in the magical world. You will one day be eligible to be the next Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter, a position that has a fair amount of political power attached to it as well as a lot of business investments, properties and money. If you don't manage that position, it is vulnerable to being taken over by less scrupulous members of the magical world."

Sirius turned his gaze to Harry, looking right into the boy's eyes. "I won't lie to you, Harry. The magical world is far from perfect. Of course, the non-magical world isn't perfect either. But I sincerely believe that you have the ability to be a major force for good in the magical world. You could make it a lot better, through your position as the next Lord Potter as well as all that 'Boy-Who-Lived' stuff. But you'll need to go to Hogwarts to establish yourself in the magical world."

Harry blinked, and looked to Belldandy. For once she had a serious expression on her face.

"I think Sirius is correct," Remus interjected, "there's a lot you could fix in the magical world one day, Harry. But if you don't go to Hogwarts, you'll never have the background to be able to do it."

Sirius picked up the conversation again. "There's also the fact that I think that Hogwarts will be a lot of fun, as well as provide you with a good education. My time at Hogwarts are the best years of my life so far. And really, I'd much rather you have a fun time at school than fix the world."

Urd looked thoughtful. "They make good points. But let's look at it from another perspective. At Hogwarts, you'll be learning magic alongside children your own age. Right now your magical lessons are a bit of a solo affair, just you and Belldandy. You've been doing well at it, but there's a lot to be said for learning with friends. Just think about your guitar lessons - is practicing at home the same as practicing with your friends?"

Harry nodded as he thought it over. His guitar lessons were always more fun when he was playing with a group.

"And it isn't like you'll lose all contact with your friends here." Urd went on. "It won't be easy, but you'll still have summer holidays to meet up with them."

Harry thought about what Urd had said. On top of Sirius' comments, it made for a compelling case. Finally, he looked at Belldandy.

"I think I want to go to Hogwarts." Harry said confidently. Belldandy smiled back.

"Good! Now let's write a formal reply, shall we?"

"One other thing first," Urd said, before she turned to Sirius and Remus. "Yes, you heard us correctly. Belldandy has been teaching Harry how to use his magic since shortly after he moved in with us."

Sirius looked interested, Remus looked flabbergasted. "But - what about the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery?"

Urd looked contemptuous. "Hmph. Like the Ministry could detect anything that has been going on inside our wards. It doesn't matter anyway, as Harry has been practicing wandless magic and the Ministry can't really track that."

Now even Sirius looked surprised. "Wandless?" He managed to gasp out.

"Yes, wandless." Belldandy said firmly. "We all learned how to do magic without our wands first, and I saw no reason why I shouldn't teach Harry the same way. He's been an excellent student."

Sirius finally managed to get control of his jaw again, even as Remus continued to gape. "So, just how good...?"

"Harry is probably better at wandless magic than most second year students at Hogwarts are with their wands," Urd said as if she were talking about the weather, "but Harry?"

"Yes, Aunty Urd?" Harry asked.

"No wandless magic at Hogwarts unless it is an absolute emergency. You don't want to draw any more attention to yourself than you'll be getting anyway, OK?"

"OK." Harry agreed.

Sirius and Remus exchanged glances. Just what had been going on without them noticing?

* * *

><p>Two days later, there was a thunderous knock on the front door. Belldandy opened it to reveal a very large man waiting outside.<p>

"'ullo, I'm Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts. I'm 'ere ta see young Harry 'bout gettin' his school supplies and such. Is he 'ere?"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: <strong>I couldn't quite dive straight into Harry receiving his Hogwarts letter. I had a few loose ends to tie up before I could even think about Harry's 11th birthday.

So, Belldandy and Keiichi are now parents. There is a madness to this method.

Idunn is more correctly written as Iðunn but I've anglicised it for easier typing. In Norse mythology, her golden apples are the source of the gods' immortality and eternal youth.

I've tried to follow the canon description of the form of insanity that Frank and Alice Longbottom had. According to one interview, JKR knew somebody who's grandmother suffered from Alzheimer's disease. She used the symptoms as the basis for how Frank and Alice acted around Neville.

Naming the children: Chapter 294 finally revealed the name of the Norns' father: Týr, the Norse God of Law. Which makes my "Odinsdotter" surname for the Norns technically incorrect. Drat. That's what I get for starting this story before the manga finishes making major revelations.

Regarding the Norse mythology, it should be noted that the OMG manga has never been faithful to it. In Norse mythology, the Norns have no stated relation to any Norse deity (and are implied to be Jotuns, not gods/goddesses), whereas in OMG they are explicitly stated to be goddesses and now have a named Norse god as their father. Furthermore, in OMG Týr is the ruler of Asgard, not Odin (in Norse mythology Týr was the ruler at one point, but Odin took over later). OMG also states that the mother of Belldandy and Skuld is Anzasu, who doesn't appear to be derived from the Norse mythology at all.

Oh, and at long last...I'm catching up to where the canon story _actually starts. _Man, it took a long time to get to Harry's first year.


	15. Chapter 15: Like a Bishop

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter or Oh My Goddess.

* * *

><p>Harry Potter gave the large man sitting in the living room a curious glance. "Mr Hagrid?"<p>

"Ah, call me 'Agrid. Everyone does." The bearded man replied.

"OK, Hagrid." Harry could not help but grin. "So, why did you want to meet me?"

Hagrid took a large gulp of the tea that Belldandy had served. The other people in the room, including a freshly arrived Sirius Black, waited patiently.

"Well," Hagrid began, "Mr Dumbledore wanted me ta help show you around the Alley and somesuch."

"That was nice of him," Urd said in a dry tone, "but with the exception of Harry and Keiichi, we're all familiar with Diagon Alley already."

Hagrid blinked. "Are ye? Well, that'll help. Any rate, Mr Dumbledore also wanted me to give you this."

The large man started to search through the many pockets in his greatcoat, eventually producing a small gold key.

"Here ye are, Harry. This is the key to your vault at Gringotts."

Before Harry could respond, Belldandy spoke up. "Oh, thank you Mr Hagrid, but we already had the keys to Harry's vaults changed. It was easier to do it that way than to try and find all the existing keys."

Hagrid blinked again. He obviously had not expected this development. "Oo ah, I didnae know that. Well, I'm still supposed ta show Harry around the Alley and help him get his books and things."

"That's fine, Mr Hagrid." Belldandy said as she stood up. "How about we all go together?"

"Sounds like a plan," Sirius replied as he stood up as well, "I'll contact Remus and get him to meet us outside Urd's shop."

"Shop?" Hagrid asked, confused.

"Yes, my shop in the Alley." Urd said smugly. "It has a Floo connection, so we can save some time and walking. I need to get there in any case so I can open up."

"Ah, that'll be good then." Hagrid said as he lumbered to his feet. "Where's your Floo then?"

"This way." Belldandy said pleasantly as she escorted the half-giant out of the room. As Harry followed along in the wake of Belldandy and Hagrid, Urd motioned for Sirius to stay behind.

"You don't really think that Hagrid is here just to show Harry around, do you?" Urd asked with a faint air of disbelief. Sirius grinned as he replied.

"Of course not. Dumbles sent him as a way of gaining influence with Harry. Hagrid is a naturally likeable sort and makes friends easily. He's also very loyal to Dumbledore. So old Albus sends his Groundskeeper along to try and give Harry a good friend who will help guide him towards the old man's sphere of influence. It is so transparent that I am forced to wonder just what Dumbledore was thinking when he came up with this."

"He's probably not used to people distrusting his basic motives like we do," Urd mused, "I did tell him that he could send whatever representative to talk to Harry when he got his letter. I just expected him to be a bit more subtle about it."

* * *

><p>Remus Lupin leaned against the wall of <em>Urd's Elegant Potions <em>while he watched the usual Diagon Alley morning traffic. There was the usual mix of people on their way to open shops, Magic Law Enforcement Patrol members changing shift, people taking advantage of the cafes to get breakfast and the first round of shoppers waiting for opening time. All in all it looked pretty normal.

_Let's just hope that it stays that way, _Remus thought darkly, _the last thing we want is a scrum of people trying to get at the 'Boy-Who-Lived.' _

Remus looked to his left as he heard noises from the door. Straightening up, he walked over just as the door opened to reveal Urd carrying an "Open" sign.

"Ah, hello Remus. Can you help me with this?" Urd said as she spotted the werewolf.

Remus nodded agreeably and helped Urd hang the sign on the hooks installed for that purpose. He glanced into the shop and saw the looming form of Hagrid examining some of the shelves.

"Sirius clued me in on the phone." He muttered to Urd, "this is so blatant it makes me wonder if there's another hidden agenda involved."

Urd paused and thought. "If there is, we'll find out today. We just have to keep our eyes open."

Remus nodded again. "We'll keep an eye on our old friend while you keep the shop going."

Urd brushed some imaginary dust off the front of her shop and glanced around. "Hagrid wants to go to Gringotts first. It makes sense, Harry will need some money for today's exercise. I'm just wondering why Hagrid wants to go with Harry rather than wait elsewhere."

Remus raised his eyebrows. "I doubt Hagrid has any ulterior motives of his own, so it must be something Dumbledore wants. We'll find out in due course."

At that point the rest of the party emerged from Urd's shop. Belldandy smiled as she saw Remus.

"Keiichi had to go to work, and Skuld is looking after Týr and Takano. Let's go!"

* * *

><p>For Harry, Gringotts was a big surprise. The goblins were intimidating, and the architecture looked to be more suited for a cathedral. Waiting in line with Belldandy, he was oblivious to the conversation that Hagrid was having with one of the goblins. His escorts were not quite so unobservant.<p>

"Looks like he's here to fetch something for Dumbledore." Remus mused to Sirius.

"Which raises the question," Sirius replied, "what does Dumbledore want to get out of Gringotts that he couldn't just turn up for in person?"

"Considering what Hagrid is like," Remus said as he scratched his nose, "Albus probably wants whatever happens here today to get into the rumour mill quickly."

"So is it Harry's first visit to the magical world in over a decade, or whatever it is that Hagrid is retrieving that Albus wants spread around?" Sirius asked rhetorically. "I think we'd better stay in the lobby and watch for when Hagrid returns, what do you think?"

"Sounds good to me." Lupin said as he eyed a curious goblin.

At that point Harry and Belldandy started towards the cart that would carry them down to the vaults. Harry turned to look at his Godfather, who just waved him off. When Harry looked surprised, Sirius walked over.

"You go ahead and have fun, Harry. Just be careful to keep your arms inside the cart. I've got some business to attend to up here in the lobby, so I'll see you when you get back from the vaults."

Harry nodded enthusiastically and scurried towards the cart. Belldandy gave Sirius a knowing look, before flicking her eyes towards where Hagrid was getting on another cart. Sirius nodded slightly.

Satisified, Belldandy joined Harry in the cart, which quickly disappeared down the tunnel to the vaults.

* * *

><p>As the group left Gringotts, Harry was busy telling Sirius about what his trust vault was like. He missed the wary looks Belldandy received from the Goblins on guard. Sirius made sure that he was giving Harry his full attention while Remus was watching Hagrid out of the corner of his eye.<p>

"What is the first item on your list, Harry?" Belldandy asked, interrupting Harry's almost stream-of-consciousness description of the vaults.

Harry consulted his list, giving Sirius a moment to have a quiet word with Remus.

"Did you see anything?" He asked, referring to Hagrid.

"Nothing." Remus replied. "If he retrieved anything from the vaults it was small enough to fit in one of his pockets. And he doesn't have space expansion charms on any of those; I checked earlier."

"If he was getting any money out, the bags would be a giveaway." Sirius said in a thoughtful tone. "Plus Dumbledore wouldn't need Hagrid to get money from Gringotts. So, some item small enough to fit in Hagrid's pockets without bulging..."

"That covers a lot of ground." Remus said knowingly. "Best to wait and see for now."

At that point Harry called their attention. "Aunty Bell says we should go and get my wand first."

"That sounds like a good idea to me," Sirius said eagerly, "let's go and see old Ollivander."

"While yer doin' that, I have to go and see to something." Hagrid said, looking slightly green. "I'll meet you outside of Ollivander's later."

Harry waved as the large man moved off in the general direction of what looked like an old-fashioned pub.

* * *

><p>Harry looked at the shop with a small amount of trepidation. It was nothing like the modern shops that he had visited around Hinckley with his family. He relaxed slightly as Belldandy put a hand on his shoulder.<p>

"Don't worry, Harry, getting a wand is not very difficult. Shall we go in?" She said in a calming tone.

Harry gave a slightly uncertain nod, before he opened the door and walked inside. The interior of the shop was just as bewildering as the exterior had been. Looking around, Harry saw an old man talking with what looked like a small family group.

"Ah, Harry Potter. How good to see you. I'll be with you just as soon as I have finished fitting Master Longbottom with his wand." The old man said without turning around.

Behind Harry, Sirius chuckled. "Still the same old routine, Mr Ollivander?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Mr Black. I remember your wand well, Ivy Wood, 13 inches, Storm Crow feather core. I was so glad to see that the Ministry did not see fit to destroy it when you were incarcerated, that wand was very tricky to craft." The old man replied as he appeared to be writing down measurements taken from a tape measure that was moving around the rather nervous young boy in front of him.

Remus walked over to the other family and held out his hand. "Frank Longbottom, as I live and breathe. It is great to see you again."

The man seemed to hesitate, before he shook Remus' outstretched hand. "Hello, Remus. It has been a while, hasn't it?"

Remus nodded, before he turned and beckoned for the rest of his party. "I'm sure you remember Sirius, so allow me to introduce you to Belldandy Morisato. She is a cousin of Lily's, and has adopted Harry here."

"Hello Mrs Morisato," the woman next to Frank said, "My name is Alice Longbottom. As you probably just heard, this is my husband Frank. I take it that you are here to get Harry's wand?"

"Yes," Belldandy said warmly, "we got Harry's acceptance letter yesterday. Have you got many things on the list yet?"

Frank winced slightly. "Neville got his letter two days ago. We were delayed in getting out to buy his school equipment by my mother. She seems to think I'm still an invalid."

At that moment Ollivander walked off to a back room, muttering about cherry wood. Neville took the chance to distract himself from the nervousness he had developed under the close scrutiny of the wandmaker by approaching Harry.

"Hello, my name is Neville Longbottom." He said formally as he offered his hand.

"Hello, Neville, my name is Harry Potter." Harry said as he took Neville's hand and shook it lightly.

Neville's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Er, yes." Harry replied, confused. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's just, well," Neville looked flustered, "you're really famous. It's just a surprise, that's all."

"Oh." Harry said, unsure of how he should respond. "So, you're going to Hogwarts this year?"

"Yes," Neville said, "I got my letter the other day. I was really relieved."

"Why?" Harry asked, puzzled.

"Well," Neville looked embarrassed, "for a long time everybody thought I was a squib, so getting the letter of acceptance was something I never thought would happen."

"A squib? What's that?" Harry asked again.

"A squib is somebody born of magical parents who can't use their magic." Neville explained. "Usually magical children will have bouts of accidental magic, but I never did, so a lot of people thought I was a squib."

"That doesn't sound good." Harry replied as he thought it over. "So getting the letter showed everybody that they were wrong?"

Neville shook his head. "I finally had some accidental magic when my parents were cured. I managed to leap right across the room to them, over twenty feet."

"Wow." Harry said, impressed. "So what was wrong with your parents?"

Neville winced. "We were attacked by Death Eaters when I was little," he said in a small voice, "they used an Unforgiveable Curse to torture my parents. For a while they were insane, and the healers had given up. Luckily Gran found a brilliant Potions Master who came up with a cure."

Harry winced in sympathy. "Sounds like it was nasty. But they're OK now, right?"

Neville looked over at where his parents were chatting away with Harry's guardians. "Yeah. Sometimes I have a hard time believing that they're really back."

At that point Ollivander returned and presented a wand to Neville. "Here we are, Master Longbottom. Thirteen inches, cherry wood, with a unicorn hair core. Please give it a wave."

Neville gave the wand a cautious wave, resulting in it glowing softly and humming gently.

"Ah yes, that is a good match for you Master Longbottom. Look after your wand and it will work wonders for you. And now, Master Potter."

Ollivander turned to Harry, who looked up curiously.

"I feel I must apologise, Master Potter," Ollivander said softly, "I both made and sold the wand that gave you this." The old man's finger gently traced the scar on Harry's forehead. "Had I foreseen what that wand would bring about, maybe I would have left it unfinished. Still, I apologise for the small part I played in what happened."

Harry just stood rock still, matching the gaze of the wandmaker.

"But, you are not here to listen to the musings of an old man. Let us set about finding you a wand..."

* * *

><p>At that moment, Albus Dumbledore was leaning back in his chair as he contemplated the various sleeping portraits of former headmasters that adorned the walls of his office. Today would be important, for a number of reasons. The biggest move, in the short term at least, was relocating Flamel's decoy Stone from Gringott's to Hogwarts. Dumbledore knew Nicholas Flamel better than perhaps anyone else alive, and that inside knowledge led him to believe that the Flamels would never trust anything like a bank to keep their most valuable possession safe. Albus was keenly aware that the security of the bank was mostly built on the reluctance most wizards had to doing anything to anger the goblins. They controlled the money supply more than any other group, as such most rational people preferred to avoid doing anything to attract the wrath of Gringott's.<p>

Unfortunately, to a wizard who had no concern for the opinions of goblins, breaking into a vault was not an impossible challenge. Oh, it was difficult, to be sure. But a determined wizard of reasonable skill could manage it, given time to plan. Dumbledore had thought up no less than fifteen viable methods of emptying the vaults of deserving targets during Voldemort's first rise; it had only been the worry of bringing the goblins onto the Dark Lord's side that had prevented the Order of the Phoenix from "liberating" Death Eater gold.

Thus it was almost a given that Nicholas Flamel would not have used his Gringott's vault to keep the real Philosopher's Stone safe. Albus recalled that on one occasion Nicholas had remarked that the safest place to hide a tree was in a forest, and Perenelle _did _have an impressive collection of jewellery. As nobody knew what the Philosopher's Stone really looked like, it was entirely conceivable that the Flamels had it hidden in a rock garden.

Of course, Dumbledore had never shared his speculations on the location of the Philosopher's Stone with anybody else. That was the Flamels' secret and he was not about to betray them. The real reason for relocating the decoy from Gringott's was to help him with Harry. He would offer a false explanation for the Stone's relocation to the staff, using a story that Voldemort's shade was seeking to acquire it. Then he would see that the security would be arranged to test the abilities of a first year student. Once Harry was at Hogwarts, he would allow a series of hints to get to the Boy-Who-Lived to spark his curiosity. The final step would be to manufacture some threat to the fake Stone that would entice Harry to test his mettle against the security features plus allow the Headmaster to arrive and save the day, allowing the Chief Warlock to both gain Harry's trust and evaluate his skills.

All this would take about a year to develop, during which time the Headmaster would be able to conduct a discreet evaluation of the Boy-Who-Lived on a more general basis. Not to mention continuing his ongoing efforts to figure out just what Voldemort was up to. In spite of maintaining what was probably the best non-government intelligence network in magical Europe, Dumbledore had found that getting hard information on the Dark Lord was on a level with nailing smoke to a wall.

_I get stories about strange events, but they tend to contradict each other and some seem to be beyond what a mere shade should be able to achieve. Does he have an agent? Or agents? A familiar? Has he possessed somebody? Or something? I just don't have enough information._

Still, his other plan seemed to be off to a good start. Hagrid was naturally likeable and was completely loyal to Albus, so introducing him to Harry Potter was a good first step in building an amicable relationship with the boy. It would mean that Harry's perceptions of the Headmaster would be influenced for the better. It was an attitude adjustment that Dumbledore was anxious to have happen sooner rather than later.

_I'll need Harry's trust for all of this to work. He's the key to finishing Voldemort off for good, if I can't get him to work with me...it will not go well._

* * *

><p>Harry emerged from Ollivander's shop feeling slightly disturbed. The old wandmaker's tale of Harry's wand being the "brother" of Voldemort's was off-putting, to say the least. Fortunately for Harry's nerves, Belldandy had sensed his discomfort and had been at his side almost immediately, her presence alone enough to provide a calming influence.<p>

"What is next on your list, Harry?" Remus asked as he glanced at the sun.

"Um, let me see." Harry replied as he fumbled with his Hogwarts letter. Just then a shadow fell over the group as Hagrid rejoined them.

"Hullo again, Harry. I got ye a present for yer birthday while you were in Ollivander's." The large man said, holding a birdcage out. Harry took it politely and looked inside.

"Oh, what a beautiful owl!" Belldandy said with delight, her face shining as she examined the Snowy Owl that Hagrid had acquired.

"Aye, I thought that when I saw her in the Emporium. She's all yours, Harry, happy birthday."

"Thank you very much." Harry said, slightly awed at the sight of the magnificent bird.

"Yes, that's a very impressive owl you got there, Hagrid." Sirius put in as he admired the gift. "You were saying about your list, Harry?"

"Oh yes." Harry replied, remembering the letter he had in his hand. "Um, maybe school robes next?"

"Sounds good to me." Remus said. "After that we can stop for lunch before we finish your shopping this afternoon."

"Madame Malkin's is this way." Belldandy offered. "Let's go."

Harry kept glancing at his new pet as the group walked towards the next shop. The owl was watching Harry intently, the unblinking stare slightly off-putting.

As they entered Madame Malkin's, an older, female voice could be heard. "Stop fidgeting, Susan, or this will take all day."

"It tickles, Aunty! I can't help it." Came the reply, obviously from a girl about Harry's age.

"Ah, Madame Bones, what a pleasant surprise." Sirius said with a smile as he regarded the woman who had managed to engineer his release from Azkaban.

"Allow me to return the sentiment, Lord Black." The current head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement said as she turned to regard the newly arrived group. "Good day to you, Mr Lupin."

"Good day, Madame Bones." Remus replied politely. "Allow me to introduce the rest of our party today. This is Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of the Keys of Hogwarts. Next to him we have Mrs Belldandy Morisato, and hiding behind her is Harry Potter."

Amelia Bones blinked in shock as she noticed the dark haired boy half hidden behind the woman Remus had identified as being Belldandy. This was unexpected, and might cause a problem.

"Harry Potter?!" An excited voice exclaimed as a young girl whirled to face Harry. Amelia's heart sank slightly, the problem had just started. "Really?!"

_Oh, wonderful, I see Susan is still a fan of that wretched 'Boy-Who-Lived' piffle. I never should have bought her those books. _Amelia thought as she closed her eyes.

"Er, yes, I'm Harry Potter." The boy said cautiously as he regarded an obviously excited red-headed girl. "Why?"

"You're the Boy-Who-Lived! I never thought I'd ever get to meet you in person!" The girl gushed, before the sound of a throat being cleared interrupted her.

"Susan! Mind your manners." Amelia said sternly.

"Sorry." The girl looked contrite. "I am Susan Bones, and this my Aunt Amelia. Pleased to meet you." She offered her hand, which Harry took gently.

"Pleased to meet you, Susan." Harry said politely.

Susan's eyes shone brilliantly as she blushed heavily. At that point the shopkeeper decided to re-enter the conversation.

"Yes, nice to meet you, Harry. Now, Susan, we were in the middle of getting you fitted. Please step over here." The woman said as she gestured for Susan to rejoin her.

As Susan went back to being fitted, Sirius moved closer to Amelia Bones.

"Has anybody appraised you of my current plans?" He asked in a low voice.

"I've heard some rumours but nothing more." Madame Bones said neutrally.

"Let me clarify things, then. I am planning to join the Wizengamot, taking the traditional seat of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black." Sirius replied.

Amelia nodded. It made sense. "That is your right. Any reason why you feel like you have to inform me of this in such an informal situation?"

Sirius gave a sideways glance to the Head of the DMLE. "You know as well as I do that there are certain vested interests who want to keep that seat vacant." Sirius' expression hardened. "That bastard Malfoy has been controlling the proxy thanks to his marriage to Narcissa. He may not have a seat in the Wizengamot himself but the Black seat has allowed him to retain influence in the chamber. He won't want to give that up, particularly not to me."

"Are you asking for security, Lord Black?" Amelia asked seriously. Sirius snorted gently.

"I'm not worried about Malfoy trying to kill me. He doesn't have the courage to kick off a political storm like that. No, I'm more concerned that he'll get his cronies in the Wizengamot to try and block me on medical grounds. To that end I would appreciate it if the healers you contracted for me could provide expert evidence."

Amelia nodded. It made sense, and it would make her life easier by removing an unpleasant influence in the Wizengamot.

"I am sure that the DMLE can assist you in that matter." She said formally.

"Excellent, and thank you." Sirius replied in a warm tone. "So, I take it that Susan is starting at Hogwarts as well?"

"Yes, she's been extremely excited ever since she got her letter. Unfortunately we weren't able to get around to her shopping until now - I was too busy at the Ministry. She'll be even more excited now that she knows she'll be in the same year group as Harry." Amelia answered in a tired tone.

Sirius grinned. "I'm not sure how Harry will react to that. He doesn't have much experience with fans."

Amelia glared at Sirius. "That smile better not be thanks to improper thoughts, Lord Black. They're only eleven."

Sirius put on his best innocent look. "Why, Madame Bones, you were the one to raise that, not me."

Amelia's glare intensified. At that point Susan let out a small cry as she got jabbed by one of Madame Malkin's pins.

"Please, Miss Bones, stay still or that will happen again!" Madame Malkin scolded.

* * *

><p>Sirius and Remus accepted Belldandy's invitation to stay for dinner, the two Marauder's tales of their time at Hogwarts making for a lively evening. Harry listened intently, marvelling at accounts of moving stairways, the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall, ghosts and, of course, the pranks that the Marauders had pulled.<p>

Fortunately for all involved, the rest of the trip to Diagon Alley had gone without a hitch. All of Harry's school supplies were now safely packed away in a top quality trunk that had been enchanted for extra storage and better organisation. All except for his textbooks, which had been left out at the insistence of both Remus and Belldandy, who had convinced Harry to do some advanced reading before he got to Hogwarts.

"So, has any particular topic caught your attention, Harry?" Remus asked as the laughter at one of Sirius' anecdotes died down.

Harry paused to think. "Well, I've been doing well with Urd's lessons in potions, so I'm interested to see how that will go at Hogwarts."

Both Sirius and Remus developed stony expressions as they glanced at each other, catching everybody's attention.

"Is there something we need to know about, gentlemen?" Urd asked diffidently.

Remus sighed. "The current Hogwarts Potion Master is somebody we went to school with. His name is Severus Snape. He is undoubtedly very good with potions, but..."

"...his personality leaves a lot to be desired." Sirius finished. "He was in House Slytherin, and we had a...very antagonistic relationship with him."

"Oh?" Belldandy asked mildly. The hidden message did not go unnoticed by the Marauders who flinched.

"Yes, it is not something we're really proud of." Remus admitted. "Though there's plenty of blame to be had on both sides, the sad fact is that we did some really unpleasant things to Snape over the years."

"Don't forget that he returned the favour several times," Sirius objected, "but you're right. We could have handled our interactions with him a lot better than we did."

"Is he likely to be a problem?" Urd asked pointedly.

Remus shrugged. Sirius looked more thoughtful as he answered. "Probably. He has an amazing ability to hold a grudge. Will he let his memories of James colour his behaviour with Harry? He just might."

"What happened between you and him?" Harry inquired.

Sirius looked directly at his plate while he talked. "It started on the train to Hogwarts, when we all started. We were in a cabin with Lily and Snape, they had been friends before Hogwarts and were sticking together a bit. Somehow we got to talking about the Houses, and James made some joke about wanting any House other than Slytherin. Snape really took offence at that, and we just made fun of him for it. He and Lily left before things could really get nasty, but after that we were always at loggerheads with Snape. Of course, it didn't help that he was in Slytherin while we were in Gryffindor at a time when Voldemort was running rampant, plus Snape was always heavily into the Dark Arts...I guess we let the prejudices of the day override any common sense we might have had."

Remus leaned forward and looked Harry directly in the eyes. "We made a lot of mistakes with Snape, Harry, but remember that it was a two way street. We pranked him and made fun of him, sure, but he responded with some really nasty hexes and at least one attempt to get us all expelled. I'm not proud of what we did, and I regret a lot of it, but it was definitely not one-sided."

"Enough of that for now." Belldandy said, bringing the discussion to a halt. "Harry, you need to start getting ready for bed. Skuld, could you please help me clean up?"

* * *

><p>As Harry moved about his bedroom getting ready to get into bed, he glanced over at the owl that Hagrid had given him earlier that day.<p>

"I guess I need to think of a name for you." He muttered softly. The owl just stared back at him.

Harry glanced at the shelf full of books, he noticed one called _A History of Magic. _Thinking he might find a good name in it, he pulled it down and flicked through several pages, scanning the text quickly. One name particularly caught his attention.

"Hmm. How about Hedwig?" Harry asked as he looked over to his owl. The owl seemed to consider this for a moment, before she bobbed her head once. Harry grinned.

"Hedwig it is!"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes:<strong> I hate writing accents. Hagrid is in danger of becoming Sir Not-Appearing-In-This-Fic.

Regarding Dumbledore's plans with the "Philosopher's Stone" - I had originally written that section to reflect the accepted canon position that Dumbledore hid the Stone at Hogwarts to keep it safe from Voldemort. A beta reader pointed out that doing that was borderline criminal behaviour, as it was deliberately placing Dark Lord bait in a castle full of _children. _So I've come up with what I hope is a plausible alternate explanation that makes Dumbledore look less reckless and callous. Of course, Mr Murphy will have a lot to say about Dumbledore's plans. Gang aft agley...

There is scant information on how the Wizengamot works in canon, with nothing to suggest that there are hereditary seats or if it is all appointed (or even just how many members there are). I'm choosing to make it similar to the House of Lords, with some hereditary seats and some appointed. I have no idea if Malfoy had any proxy votes in the canon Wizengamot or not, but if there was a hereditary Black seat then Narcissa would be the one with the most claim on it after Bellatrix and Sirius were in Azkaban (Andromeda was officially cast out).

My apologies for the long delay in getting this chapter written. It was not intentional.


	16. Chapter 16: Express Delivery

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter or Oh My Goddess.

* * *

><p>For Harry, August of 1991 passed by at a blinding speed. In addition to his regular lessons with Belldandy, Sun Wukong and Urd he now had routine sessions with Sirius Black and Remus Lupin that covered his upcoming year at Hogwarts.<p>

For the most part this time was spent going through Harry's textbooks. Remus turned out to be a highly effective tutor, and Harry was able to get a good overview of the theory of the topics he would be studying at Hogwarts. Potions proved to be Harry's strongest area thanks to the lessons he had been receiving from Urd over the preceding months. Sirius noted this, but cautioned Harry to keep an open mind.

"Potions is easier to pick up outside of Hogwarts because you can practice potions at home, as there is no active magic required that might alert the Ministry," he explained, "but remember that topics like Charms and Transfiguration are a lot more fun when you get to the practical aspects."

Certainly Harry's understanding of those two topics that he had gained from his textbooks had sparked his interest. He was looking forward to trying some of the spells out himself. Other classes, such as Herbology and the History of Magic, looked to be interesting but less fun due to the lack of practical magic.

The rest of Harry's family had been equally busy. Belldandy was occupied almost full time by the joint demands of caring for all of her children, taking care of the house and Harry's ongoing magical lessons. For all that she was busier than she had been at any time since she first met Keiichi, her cheerful and pleasant demeanour never wavered.

Urd had buried herself in a brand new potions project that she refused to disclose to anybody. All that she would say when pressed was that it would "shake the magical world to its core". In private she assured Belldandy that it involved nothing that would attract any negative reactions from Asgard.

The busiest of them all had been Skuld. Her intense course of training to use her magic had paid off handsomely, with Belldandy judging her ready to take her final tests months earlier than anyone had expected. Skuld had organised to meet her Asgard examiners in northern Norway for her tests, and follow them up by taking her NEWTs in Oslo. Of course the Asgard Intensive Magical Examinations (commonly called the "AIMEs") were the most important part for Skuld, as passing them would give her the final set of credentials required to be a fully qualified goddess. The NEWTs, on the other hand, would be very useful for their ongoing mission in Britain. Skuld had already discussed this with her sisters, and they had generally agreed that Skuld would pursue a Masters qualification in the UK. This would help her develop a public image in the British magical community, which until now was largely unaware of the youngest Norn.

Unfortunately for Skuld, the net result of her efforts to get all of her testing out of the way as quickly as possible meant that she was stuck in Norway when the day came for Harry to leave for Hogwarts. She had actually managed to bond with Harry over video games, so her absence bothered her more than she was willing to let show.

* * *

><p>For others, the start of the new term at Hogwarts was significant in other ways. At the Malfoy Manor, Narcissa Malfoy sat quietly in her boudoir as she contemplated the challenge that was her son.<p>

She had taken the task Sirius Black had given her to heart, determined to see Draco grow to be a significant member of the Black Family. Distracting Lucius had proven to be easier than she had anticipated. As it turned out, the Head of the Malfoy Family had a pressing need to see to his business dealings, as years of bribery and backroom deals (not to mention the money poured into the late Dark Lord's campaign) had left Lucius' cash reserves depleted. When Narcissa offered to take over Draco's tutoring such that Lucius could concentrate on his business interests, her husband had leapt at the chance to rebuild his liquid assets.

Now the Malfoy Family was in the best financial position it had been in since the Dark Lord's fall, and Lucius was revelling in the success of _his _brilliant idea to have his wife attend to Draco in order to give himself more time to turn his finances around. Narcissa was careful to avoid disabusing him of this notion, as it meant that her husband paid almost no attention to what she had been teaching their son.

Narcissa's father and uncle had both been true Slytherins; combining in equal parts ambition and cunning into a package that allowed them to dominate the world of politics like few others had ever achieved. Fate had conspired to rob both men of the opportunity to rise to the highest offices in magical Britain - Narcissa knew that they had once dreamed of sharing the roles of Minister and Chief Warlock between them. The rise of Albus Dumbledore and the Dark Lord had both contributed to the destruction of those plans, the former blocking the advancement of any 'dark' families in the Wizengamot and the latter siphoning the strength of the Black Family into a doomed crusade.

Narcissa had been determined to teach her son to be the equal of his grand-father and grand-uncle. When she started, however, she found that while the boy had no shortage of ambition, he had a distinct lack of cunning to help temper it.

Raised by a man who had already established his place in the world, and brought up in an insular social setting, Draco's willingness to espouse his views at the drop of a hat was a far cry from how a true Slytherin should act. The boy was too used to airing his views to a sympathetic audience, 'preaching to the choir' as it were. Narcissa knew that such behaviour would be disastrous outside of the social circles that Draco was used to.

Accordingly, she had done her best to teach Draco the value of discretion. She had gone on at length on the importance of keeping one's own views private, and to spend more effort on discovering the views and opinions of others. Knowledge was half the battle, and once you knew how your fellow wizards and witches thought, you could then use that to guide them into helping you achieve your own goals.

Narcissa's uncle had been particularly adept at this. In public the man was a cipher, his views and opinions kept firmly under wraps. His conversations were always aimed at divining the motivations and views of others, such that when he was ready to propose some action he could couch it in terms that everybody would find favourable.

On several occasions, Narcissa's uncle had managed to sweet-talk those on the 'Light' side of politics into supporting measures that were more to the 'Dark' way of thinking. All by working out just how to sell his ideas in the most attractive packaging.

Draco had at least appeared to have absorbed some of these lessons, but Narcissa knew that she was fighting an uphill battle. She really needed to have started this kind of tutoring years earlier to achieve the results she wanted. Unfortunately, she had been more than willing to allow her husband to have his own way, reluctant to give even the slightest hint of disunity in the Malfoy Family at a time when the sharks had been circling.

Once Draco was on the Hogwarts Express, there was no turning back. Narcissa knew for a fact that Harry Potter was bound to meet her son, and that the first impressions of the Boy-Who-Lived would have an enormous impact on how Draco was received by Sirius later on.

Narcissa sighed, and called a house elf for some tea. Her son would board the Hogwarts Express the next morning. Dwelling on the issue any further would achieve little but to increase her stress levels. She would find out soon if her efforts had been successful. And if her lessons had not taken root...

Well. Maybe it was time to create some backup plans.

* * *

><p>"Is this it?" Harry asked as he looked at a blank section of wall.<p>

"That's it. The grand entrance to platform nine and three quarters. It is quite a nifty bit of spellwork, actually." Sirius replied as he casually looked around. They'd already spotted at least one person tailing them since they arrived in London. Remus had identified the man as one of Dumbledore's errand boys, somebody by the name of "Dung."

"I must say that I don't quite understand why they have every student in the British Isles travel to London just go get on a train to Scotland." Urd commented. "It must be very inconvenient for students who live closer to Hogwarts than they do to London."

"It is, but like a lot of things this is a tradition with a lot of emotional baggage." Remus said in response. "Plus it has the advantage of giving students a bit of time to catch up after the holidays, or for the first years to have a bit more time to acclimatize."

"So I just walk through?" Harry queried, getting the conversation back on track.

"Right. Let me go ahead with your trunk, just follow along and you'll be fine." Sirius answered as he picked up Harry's trunk. It would also allow him to be in front of Harry in case any fans of the Boy-Who-Lived decided to get overly affectionate.

Harry dutifully followed his godfather and walked through the barrier. His first impression upon emerging onto the platform was one of barely organised chaos, as students rushed between saying goodbye to their families and saying hello to fellow students. A train that Harry thought looked to be old-fashioned stood waiting, with some students already boarding.

"Here we are, the Hogwarts Express." Remus commented as he emerged from the barrier behind Harry. "Direct from London to Hogsmeade. You'd better get on fairly soon, the passenger compartments fill up quickly."

"OK," Harry replied as he moved away from the barrier to avoid blocking the way. He looked over to where his family had come through, his aunty Bell pushing a baby stroller that held the twins.

"Goodbye Harry, stay safe." Belldandy said as she embraced her adopted son. "Please remember to write to us."

"Good luck, kid." Urd said as she gave Harry a quick hug. "Let me know if anybody gives you grief for unusual potions recipes. I'll sort them out."

"Have fun at Hogwarts, Harry." Sirius interjected as he gave Harry a one-armed hug. "And what Urd said goes for me too. If any of the teachers give you trouble, let me know."

Remus didn't say anything, but followed Sirius' example in giving Harry a one-armed hug. Keiichi was more open and hugged Harry warmly, whispering "good luck" in his ear before he pulled back.

Harry paused a moment and blinked a few times, before he smiled and waved to his family as he turned to board the train. A family of red-heads emerged from the barrier just as Harry disappeared from view.

"And that's it for now. He should be OK, we've all taught him well." Urd said in an undertone to Belldandy.

"Yes, sister. It is up to Harry now." Belldandy replied with a slightly worried tone.

* * *

><p>Once on board, Harry settled into the first empty compartment he found. He placed his trunk into the overhead storage shelf, mentally thanking his family for having the foresight to purchase a trunk with permanent charms to reduce the weight. He then carefully placed Hedwig in her cage on the seat next to the window, propping it up to give his pet a view of the outside world.<p>

He was just thinking about finding a book to read when the door to his compartment opened. He looked up and saw a familiar face.

"Hello Neville! It is good to see you again." Harry said with a little bit of enthusiasm.

"Hello Harry. Do you mind if I sit here?" Neville replied. Harry shook his head and gestured towards the vacant seats. Neville breathed a sigh of relief and pulled his trunk into the compartment, juggling an owl cage.

"Oh, you got an owl as well?" Harry asked as he noticed the cage. Neville nodded as he levered his trunk into the overhead shelf.

"Yes, mum and dad bought it for me as a birthday present. His name is Trevor." He explained as he held the cage up in front of Harry. Harry was confronted with a brown owl with black flecks on its chest, staring back intently with yellow eyes. The owl's face appeared to be slightly more angular than Hedwig's.

"Impressive. What species of owl is he?" Harry inquired.

"He's a Buffy Fish Owl, _Bubo ketupu. _The species comes from southern Asia, according to the shop owner." Neville said, obviously proud of his pet.

"That's cool. This is my owl, Hedwig. She's a Snowy Owl." Harry said as he pointed at his own owl cage. Neville looked impressed.

"She's gorgeous. I'll put Trevor's cage opposite hers." Neville said as he propped up Trevor's cage the same way Harry had placed Hedwig's. The two owls eyed each other for a minute before they turned their attention to the window.

A few minutes later, the door to the compartment opened again to reveal a red-haired boy about their own age. "Hi, do you mind if I sit in here? Everywhere else is full."

Harry blinked in surprise. "Has the train really filled up so quickly? I didn't think there would be so many people."

The red-head winced. "Well, the other compartments aren't full, but everywhere else I've been either had older students who didn't want me to sit with them or people I'd rather avoid."

Harry glanced at Neville, who shrugged in response. Harry turned back to the red-head and gestured for him to enter.

"Thanks," the boy said as he wrestled to get his battered trunk into the overhead shelf, "my name's Ron Weasley."

"Neville Longbottom." Neville said as he helped Ron wedge the trunk in place.

"Harry Potter." Harry added as he leaned back to keep out of the way. Ron's eyes widened for a moment.

"Are you really?" Ron asked with a touch of incredulity.

"Er, yes. Why wouldn't I be?" Harry asked, confused.

"It's just that - I never expected to meet you here." Ron went on.

Harry sighed. "Is this about those 'Boy-Who-Lived' books? I saw some of those at the book shop."

Ron settled back a bit. "My sister is a big fan of those books. She used to make dad read them to her every night for years."

Neville nodded. "They are really popular, but Gran was never all that keen on them."

"From what I've read they're completely wrong," Harry said, "I never did any of the things they put in them."

"That makes sense," Ron said thoughtfully, "I always thought that the book which had you fighting a dragon at the age of five was ridiculous."

Harry sat back in shock. He obviously needed to read more of those wretched books, just to know what rubbish other people might think.

The door to the compartment opened again, this time by a bushy haired girl who looked slightly upset. "Is it OK if I sit here with you?" she asked in a slightly depressed tone. Harry noticed that she had her school trunk behind her in the corridor.

"Sure." Harry said immediately. "I'll get your trunk."

"Thanks," the girl said as she sat down, "I was chased out of the compartment I was in before by some older students. They called me a 'mudblood' and said I shouldn't be allowed here at all."

Neville sighed. "That's really unfortunate. I really don't like people like that."

Ron nodded as Harry sat back down. "Yeah, probably Slytherins."

The girl looked up at that. "What makes you say that?"

Ron shrugged. "Old Salazar Slytherin hated the muggleborn. It's why he broke away from the other founders. Muggle-baiting has been a Slytherin tradition ever since."

"Well, that's not strictly accurate," Neville interjected, "but it is true that a lot of people who don't like muggleborn have been in Slytherin for the past few decades."

"Oh," the girl said, "I think I see. My name is Hermione Granger, by the way."

"Neville Longbottom." Neville said as he offered his hand, which Hermione took briefly.

"Ron Weasley." offered the red-head, presenting his hand hesitantly after Neville had set the standard.

"Harry Potter." Harry said last, also offering his hand.

Hermione looked fascinated. "I've heard of you! You're in 'Modern Magical History' and 'The Rise And Fall Of The Dark Arts'."

Harry hid a wince. "If they're anything like those 'Boy-Who-Lived' books, take what they say with a grain of salt."

Hermione looked confused. "What 'Boy-Who-Lived' books?"

Neville took pity on her. "They're a series of books for children about Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived. From what Harry and Ron have said, they aren't very factual."

"They're total fiction," Harry said sullenly, "and apparently some people think that they're true."

"Oh." Hermione said in a thoughtful tone. "How about I lend you my books and you can check for yourself?"

"OK." Harry replied. "I can tell you if any of it is blatantly false."

Hermione nodded. "So, when did you learn about magic? I had no idea about any of this until Professor McGonagall came to give me my letter."

"Ron and I are from magical families," Neville offered, "so we've known for our whole lives."

"I learnt about magic just a couple of years ago," Harry said, "after my parents died I lived with my aunt. She hates magic, and never told me about any of it. I was adopted by my current family just before my ninth birthday, and they told me about magic."

"Oh." Hermione said again. "Well, I hope I'm able to keep up. I've learnt all our assigned books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough."

Ron looked stunned at hearing this. Neville had a bewildered look about him. Harry just nodded and carried on.

"I've been learning about magic from my family since they adopted me," he explained, "and I've at least read our assigned books. If you've memorised them you're probably far ahead of most of our year already."

At that point the conversation was interrupted as the door to the compartment opened. Harry looked over to see a pair of red-headed twin boys.

"Hey, Ron, we just wanted to check in to see that you weren't lost or anything." One of the twins said.

"Mum was insistent that we look out for you," the other twin commented, "as if having Percy running around like a mothering hen wasn't enough."

"Prefect Percy would do that anyway," the first twin continued, "dear brother's badge has gone to his head."

"I say, it looks like we've been lacking in our social graces!" the other twin suddenly exclaimed.

"Are you sure you aren't Percy in disguise?" the first twin asked with suspicion.

"No, I'm just talking like he does. But, dear twin of mine, we have yet to introduce ourselves to Ron's friends here."

"True. Well, without further ado, let me introduce myself. I am Fred Weasley-"

"-and I am George Weasley. Or is it the other way around?"

"Who knows? Not even mother can tell us apart, and I tend to lose track myself." The self-identified Fred Weasley finished.

Harry blinked. The twins had managed an almost continuous stream of conversation, effortlessly jumping from one to the other.

"Pleased to meet you," Neville said as he stood, offering his hand, "I am Neville Longbottom."

"Hermione Granger." Hermione offered, remaining seated as she waved shyly.

"Harry Potter." Harry added, also remaining seated. The twins looked amazed.

"Cor! Harry Potter?" The one that was apparently 'George' said.

"Are you really?" 'Fred' finished.

Harry sighed. He was getting that question a lot. "Yes, I am, and I'm not going to give out autographs."

Hermione giggled as the twins looked thunderstruck. "Well, there goes that business opportunity," was the eventual reply from 'Fred'.

"Just give us time, we'll think of something else." 'George' said. "At any rate, we need to get back to our compartment. Jordan said he has a tarantula!"

"See you later, Ron." 'Fred' said as the twins departed.

After the door closed, Neville sat back down and glanced at Ron. "Your brothers, I take it." He stated.

Ron nodded. "Yeah, I'm the youngest brother in the family. The only one younger is my sister, Ginny. The twins drive mum mad, they're constantly pulling pranks and getting in trouble. Percy is a Prefect this year, and hasn't let his badge out of his sight ever since he got it."

At that point the train finally moved off, the moving scenery drawing Hermione's attention to the owls hogging the window seats. The four children spent some time discussing pets, before they were interrupted again.

"Want anything off the cart, dears?" The children all turned to see the snack cart just outside their compartment.

"What have you got?" Harry asked curiously. Ron took this as an excuse to explain the range of snacks that were available, starting with the Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.

After Ron's spiel had finished, Harry settled for some Chocolate Frogs, Hermione refused anything as it was all bad for your teeth, Neville joined Harry in getting more Frogs and Ron stuck with his pre-made lunch. After the cart had gone, Harry shared his Frogs with Ron.

"I don't know how you can eat something that moves like that." Hermione said, looking slightly green.

"You get used to it." Neville replied as he examined the card he had received.

"It's time for lunch anyway," Harry commented as he groped inside a pocket for the magically shrunken lunch Belldandy had prepared for him, "so your parents are dentists, Hermione?"

"What's a dentist?" Neville asked with some confusion as he stood on his seat to get at his trunk.

Hermione immediately launched into a detailed description of what dentists do, the history of the profession and why it was so important. The boys listened quietly as they ate.

"Huh. I've never heard of anybody who specialised in healing teeth like that. Have you, Neville?" Ron said as Hermione finally wound down.

"No, and I think I know why," Neville explained, "we use a spell to clean our teeth in the magical world. I'm guessing that it is good enough to prevent a lot of the stuff Hermione was talking about. Anything else can be fixed with potions."

"Oh yeah," Ron said musingly, "I remember one time Charlie knocked his front teeth out playing Quidditch. Dad took him to St Mungo's and he was back to normal by the next day."

Hermione looked intrigued. "Really? That's amazing! A pity we can't share that."

"Statute of Secrecy, Hermione." Neville put in. "It may not look all that good in this context, but there are good reasons for it."

The conversation was interrupted as the door to their compartment opened.

"I've heard that Harry Potter is on the train." A blond haired boy announced from the doorway. Harry noticed two much larger boys lurking in the background.

"Er, yes. That's me." Harry said as he stood.

The boy looked at him for a moment, before he offered his hand. "Hello. I am Draco Malfoy."

Ron giggled softly, but Draco heard him anyway and glared. Harry decided to intervene and took the offered hand in the formal style that Sirius had taught him.

"Greetings, Draco Malfoy. Allow me to introduce my companions to you. This is Hermione Granger," the girl waved, "Neville Longbottom," the boy nodded, "and Ron Weasley."

"Good day to you all," the young Malfoy said as he continued to glare at Ron, "was there something amusing about what I said earlier, Weasley?"

Neville stood up before Ron could say anything. "Please, let us all be civilized here and not drag in any family disputes. Greetings, Draco Malfoy." Neville offered his hand as he spoke.

Draco Malfoy shook the offered hand as he finally tore his eyes away from Ron. Hermione looked slightly apprehensive, wondering what was going on.

Draco turned back to Harry. "I was hoping to talk to you regarding some important issues. The wizarding world is a complicated place and I want to help you find your place."

Neville answered before Harry had a chance to do so. "That is most gracious of you, Malfoy, but this is hardly the time or place to conduct such important business. Perhaps we can all meet again after we have settled in at Hogwarts?"

Draco raised an eyebrow. "All of us?" he said pointedly.

Harry nodded. "Yes, that sounds like a good idea. You are the heir to an important family, aren't you Neville?"

"I am." Neville said simply. "I am the Heir to the Ancient and Most Noble House of Longbottom. A family which has a long history of friendship with the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter. I am sure that any offer that the Noble House of Malfoy has to make will interest my family as much as yours, Harry."

Draco looked pained, but simply bowed slightly. "Well, if you are certain, who am I to argue? I will take my leave of you now. See you at Hogwarts."

Harry and Neville remained standing until Malfoy and his entourage were out of sight. At that point Neville collapsed into his seat and started to hyperventilate.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked with concern.

"I'm not used to doing that at all," Neville managed to gasp out, "I was on the verge of panicking the whole time I was talking to Malfoy."

"Why?" Hermione asked, confused.

Ron spoke up. "The Malfoys are a dark family. They're opposed to muggleborns getting into Hogwarts and were some of You-Know-Who's biggest supporters."

"Draco's aunt was involved in attacking my family in 1981," Neville managed to get out, "I couldn't help but think of it when he entered."

Harry sat down and took a deep breath with his eyes closed. He finally looked over at Hermione. "I've been getting some lessons in this from my godfather. What you just saw is a small part of the politics here in the magical world. A lot of it revolves around the old rich families and the history that goes with it. I'm not sure where the Malfoys fit in all that."

Neville had finally calmed down enough to be able to lean back in his seat. "The Malfoys are a relatively young family, but they're very rich and have a lot of influence in the Ministry. I know that the Malfoys and the Weasleys have something of a feud going on, which is why I butted in when I did. I didn't want to see Ron and Malfoy fighting."

Ron just crossed his arms and glared. Hermione looked puzzled.

"What's the feud about?" She queried. Ron turned his attention out the window.

"Never mind that," he muttered, "there's a bunch of reasons. They're all just evil."

Hermione looked like she wanted to pursue the topic, but Harry caught her eye and shook his head slightly. She paused and finally relented.

"So, what other books do you read?" Harry asked, looking for a change of topic.

Hermione's eyes gleamed, as she launched into her favourite topic.

* * *

><p>Harry stared up at the ceiling of Hogwarts' Great Hall with awe. He had no idea that magic could create something like <em>that<em>.

He was already impressed with what he had seen. The boat ride to the castle had given all of the First Year students an amazing view of the school, though the effect was marred by Neville panicking about falling overboard. Even waiting for the Sorting Ceremony to start had been an event, with the ghosts of the school paying a visit.

Harry turned his attention to the main stage, where a girl by the name of Susan Bones was currently sitting under the Sorting Hat. Harry thought that the Hat was one of the strangest magical artefacts he had seen so far, even after seeing many of Skuld's inventions.

Soon, Susan was on her way to the Hufflepuff table. Other students followed quickly, the Sorting Hat usually announcing the House after a few seconds. Ron had groaned quietly when Hermione Granger had been sorted into Gryffindor, but a quick glance from Harry had quieted him.

The Sorting Hat took no time at all to put Draco Malfoy into Slytherin, which made Harry wonder just what kind of magic the Hat had that it could make a character judgement that quickly. Finally, it came to his own turn.

"Potter, Harry!" The Deputy Headmistress called, bringing a hush to the room. Harry walked up to the Hat with as much confidence as he could muster, even as he heard whispers about the "Boy-Who-Lived" from the House tables.

As the Hat was placed on his head, Harry heard a voice that seemed to be speaking inside his mind.

"_Well, this is a surprise. You're a lot more ordered than most of the children I get to meet."_

"_Is that good or bad?"_

"_Good for you, I'd say. I'm hardly an expert. Now, where to put you? You're loyal, hard-working, studious, brave and quite cunning. You could probably go into any of the Houses."_

"_Not Slytherin, please."_

"_Oh? A preference? Ah, I see. Yes, the current attitudes of that House would be a poor fit for you, for all that you've more cunning in your little finger than most of them could ever dream of having. So sad to see what has happened to Salazar's House."_

"_How about Gryffindor? That's where Neville went."_

"_That's a distinctly Hufflepuffish trait there. But I see that you are correct, the best place for you to grow will be in-" _"GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry rose as McGonagall took the Hat of his head. He could hear the Gryffindors chanting "we got Potter! We got Potter!" as he walked over to join them. Sitting down, he watched as the last of the students were Sorted. Finally the food came out and he started to fill his plate.

He made a mental note of who the Gryffindor Prefects were, something that Remus had suggested would be handy later on. Eventually, the Headmaster stood up and made a small speech. Harry paid it half a mind, until something caught his attention.

"...please stay away from the Third Floor corridor, unless you wish to meet with injury or death. Thank you."

Harry blinked with surprise, and turned to his fellow students. "Is he serious?"

Hermione looked gobsmacked. Neville was plainly puzzled, while everyone else just shrugged.

"This is Hogwarts," one of the Weasley Twins said, "you can expect weird things."

"Weird, maybe," Harry replied, "but life-threatening? In a school?"

* * *

><p>After the Feast had concluded, the Prefects had escorted everybody up the Gryffindor Common Room. There they were met by a black woman, who Harry vaguely remembered seeing at the teacher's table in the Great Hall . After everybody was seated, she addressed them all.<p>

"Welcome, everybody, to House Gryffindor. I am your Head of House, Aurora Sinistra. I am also the Professor of Astronomy here at Hogwarts, so I will be seeing most of you in class later on.

"As your Head of House, I am here to help you adjust to the school environment and prosper as students. To this end I will aid you with any problems that the Prefects are unable to deal with. I know that all Gryffindor Prefects know their responsibilities and will do their best to live up the expectations the school has for students in their position."

All of the Prefects had carefully guarded expressions. They remembered only too well what had happened to under-performing Prefects when Sinistra had first started as their Head of House.

" I am in effect acting as your guardian here in the school and am responsible for your well being. To that end, any and all issues regarding Hogsmeade weekends will be sorted by myself. Any matters regarding detentions and point losses are also within my purview. If you feel that any detention or loss of points is unfair or unjust you may raise the matter with me, but be certain of your position because I am entitled to increase any penalties if I find that you are being frivolous.

"I have posted a timetable on the noticeboard that has my office hours listed in detail. My office can be found in the ground level of the Astronomy Tower. Please do not approach me outside of the posted hours as I will be busy.

"Finally, I hope that this year is a good one for everybody here and in the school at large. Please do your best to keep the learning environment productive and friendly. That said, I also want to see the House and Quidditch Cups in my office by the end of the year, so keep that competitive edge."

Harry noticed that Percy was glaring at Fred and George, who were trying to look innocent. They were not doing a good job of it.

"And now, I believe it is time to finish for the day. Prefects, please show the First Years to their dormitories. Good night, everybody."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes: <strong>Trevor the Toad is no more, all hail Trevor the Buffy Fish Owl. And yes, the species really does exist.

Next time: lessons start. Harry Potter, (adopted) Son of Belldandy, meet Severus Snape...


	17. Chapter 17: Toil and Trouble

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter or Oh My Goddess.

* * *

><p>The start of the school year at Hogwarts had been a chaotic time for as long as anyone could remember. The introduction of a whole new class of First Years was bound to complicate matters - none of them knew the layout of the castle (or how to negotiate the slightly variable structure) and there were plenty of students who had almost no experience with the magical world at all. It all added up to students getting lost, confused and distressed on an almost constant basis.<p>

Fortunately the staff were used to the chaos of the first week and had plenty of arrangements in place to keep things running as smoothly as possible. Prefects knew to keep an eye on their First Year students, counting them off at meal times and guiding larger groups to classes for the first time. Of course some Prefects were more helpful than others, which occasionally lead to a Head of House stepping in to make sure that no student "fell through the net."

For Harry Potter the first week of school had added complications, in the form of his fame preceding him. Whispers in corridors as he walked to class followed him, along with looks that ranged from adulation to jealousy. Harry had also had trouble with people asking for his autograph, of all things, usually on a copy of some "Boy Who Lived" book. That had ended after the second day, when his Head of House had tired of the growing mob at the Gryffindor table during breakfast. Lunch had been graced with a five minute announcement that autograph seekers would be spending their time polishing every telescope in the Astronomy Tower if they kept creating disturbances during school time. Harry had been slightly unnerved at how the Astronomy Professor had managed to convey a great deal of hidden menace without once changing the tone or volume of her voice.

Fortunately for Harry, the announcement by Professor Sinistra had put an end to the autograph seeking mobs, slowing down the demand to a trickle who approached Harry after dinner each evening. Harry was unsure as to how he should handle the fans, and ended up writing to his family to ask for advice. The best answer came from his godfather, who said that Harry should refrain from putting his autograph on anything until the legal dispute over royalties from the "Boy Who Lived" books had been sorted out. Harry had not been aware that there even was a legal dispute until he read this advice, which resulted in a further letter from Urd that explained how Remus had investigated the publishing deal and discovered that no permission from any of Harry's family members had ever been sought for the book series. Now Sirius and Remus were acting on Harry's behalf to make sure that the actual "Boy Who Lived" received his share of the revenue derived from the myth of the "Boy Who Lived."

Naturally, the publisher of the book series was reluctant to let anybody else get their hands on the lucrative series. Urd assured Harry that Remus had things well under control.

In the middle of all of this came lessons. Harry had done his best to approach these with an open mind, knowing that he would need to adjust to casting with a wand. Fortunately it had not taken much effort to start casting with his wand, though he was discovering that he now had to be very precise in wand movements and enunciating the spell.

Charms had been the easiest to adapt to, as much of the material presented by Professor Flitwick was similar to the lessons he had already had with Aunty Belldandy. Harry had learned how to "feel" his magic when casting wandlessly, recognising that different spells had different sensations associated with them. This knowledge carried over into casting with a wand, though Harry noticed that the lessons were focused on casting the actual spell rather than understanding the flow of magic behind it. This puzzled Harry until he realised that a wand made the flow of magic so easy that a true understanding was not necessary at a beginner's level. He guessed that Flitwick would get into the more in depth work later on, perhaps even in later years.

Transfiguration was actually a topic that Aunty Belldandy had not covered in a practical sense. She had discussed the theory of the field with Harry, and had provided some demonstrations, but any practice had been put off until Harry's wandless magic had been more adept. His first lesson with Professor McGonagall had therefore been something of a revelation, as the magical theory he was already familiar with had suddenly made sense as he went through the motions of turning a match into a needle. He had been one of the first in the class to manage a fully transfigured needle, much to McGonagall's delight. Harry was confident that a few weeks of lessons would give him a good practical grounding that would help cement the theory he had covered with Belldandy.

Defence Against the Dark Arts had been a disappointment. Harry was used to training with Monkey, which was mostly martial arts with magic thrown in to balance it out. Professor Quirrell was not nearly as good a teacher as Sun Wukong, and seemed to be more interested in lecturing the students about magical creatures that may or may not be a threat. He also stuttered quite badly, which made it quite difficult to follow the lesson as Quirrell did not have a particularly strong voice to begin with. Harry had noticed a tingling from his scar during the class, but was unable to figure out just what was going on. He resolved to ask his family about it later.

Today would be more of a challenge. His first Potions lesson at Hogwarts was scheduled, a topic that he had enjoyed greatly when he worked with Urd. He had been warned, however, by older Gryffindor students that Professor Snape was a particularly strict teacher with a past history of cracking down hard on non-Slytherins. Combined with what he had heard from Sirius and Remus regarding the past history of Snape and Harry's father, it did not paint a good picture of how things might go. Harry was determined, though, as he had actually been quite good at Potions when he was learning with Urd and had made sure that he was on top of his textbooks. He would just have to make sure that he stayed alert.

* * *

><p>Sirius Black sat in a stoic silence as the Wizengamot ran through the pomp and ceremony of formally admitting a new member. Once this was over he would have the family seat in the Wizengamot that the Blacks had claimed for centuries.<p>

There had once been a time when he would have laughed at anybody who suggested that he, the Black Family's disgrace, would one day actively seek out a place in the Wizengamot. His youthful rebellion against everything his family had stood for meant that he had dismissed the Wizengamot as nothing but a bunch of corrupt purebloods arguing over the most pointless subjects.

Age had not changed that perception, but his view on the importance of the Black Family seat had. Now it was a ticket to having some real influence on the future course of Britain's magical community. Admittedly it was not much influence, particularly as the Ministry itself had usurped many of the Wizengamot's prerogatives, but it was more influence than he would have had outside the chamber.

Getting the seat had been a little difficult, as it had been Lucius Malfoy's by default thanks to Narcissa being the last competent adult member of the Black Family not cast out or imprisoned. Malfoy had not been willing to lose the one and only vote that he could directly control in the Wizengamot, even if the man would never have been allowed to actually sit in the seat himself. Fortunately for Sirius, there was enough sympathy lingering over the so-called Black Scandal that Malfoy's attempts to block Sirius' progress had been ineffectual.

So, now he was watching as some old fart went through the motions of something that possibly had real meaning a few centuries ago but was now just window dressing on a ceremony that existed mostly out of the inertia of "tradition."

Sirius just hoped that the end result would be worth the mind-numbing boredom. Right now he was almost willing to try his chances with the Dementors again rather than put up with more of this rubbish.

* * *

><p>Harry approached his first Potions lesson with a feeling of anticipation moderated by caution. On the one hand, his lessons with Aunty Urd had been a lot of fun and he had learned a lot from her. On the other hand, he had been warned by Sirius and Remus about the Hogwarts Potions Master.<p>

The fact that the Potions classroom was in the dungeons did not help things in any way. It was colder than the rest of the castle and the decoration seemed to have been taken out of a cheap horror movie.

Professor Severus Snape started by taking the roll, something most of the staff seemed intent on. He paused at Harry's name.

"Ah, Yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new - celebrity."

Harry doggedly ignored the giggles he could hear from the Slytherin students. Professor Snape finished calling out the roll and glared at the students for a moment.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word.

"As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

More silence followed this little speech.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Harry was briefly taken aback, as he had not expected any questions this early.

"A potent sleeping potion known as the Draught of Living Death." He answered, thankful that Aunty Urd had spent an entire lesson on the potion. She had pointed it out as a potentially dangerous potion that was actually fairly simple to brew.

"Swotting up in advance, Potter? Well then, let's see how much you retained in that head of yours. Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

"Bezoars are traditionally found in the stomachs of goats, and can be used as a cure for many poisons." Harry replied calmly. Aunty Urd had covered these early, as she always kept a number of potential antidotes to hand at all times during his lessons. She had made sure that he understood them all and when to use them.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Snape barked out.

"They are common names for the same plant, also known as aconite." Harry answered as steadily as he could. That piece of information had come about after Harry had been confused by some recipes using different names for the ingredients. Aunty Urd had taken some time to cover the most common potions ingredients that had multiple names.

Professor Snape looked unimpressed. "Thought you'd be the darling of the class by memorising the text book in advance, Potter? You'll find that in this classroom you need to demonstrate that you can put that information to proper use."

With that the dour man turned towards a blackboard and gestured at it with his wand. It suddenly filled with writing.

"Those are the instructions for a simple potion that will remove boils. You are to brew this with a partner. You may begin."

Harry turned to Neville who was sitting next to him. "Care to work together?" He asked. Neville just nodded nervously. Harry pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill. "First of all, let's copy down the instructions carefully so we have an easy reference at hand."

"OK," Neville said as he reached for his own writing materials. Harry was already copying as quickly as he could, grateful that he had acquired a self-inking quill in Diagon Alley.

Taking the time to write the instructions down seemed to calm Neville, though it took the boy longer than Harry to finish. Harry started to lay out the ingredients in the order that they would be needed as Neville was finishing.

"Still not started, Potter? This is a Potions lesson, not an essay writing competition." Professor Snape said as he walked by. Harry refused to look up, concentrating on starting to prepare the ingredients as Neville's nervousness seemed to increase.

"Just relax, Neville," Harry muttered under his breath, "just stay calm and follow the instructions carefully. We'll be OK."

Neville nodded as he put their shared cauldron on the flame.

The pair worked steadily at the potion, with Harry stopping Neville at several points in the process to prevent mistakes. Eventually they were on the last step when Professor Snape loomed over them again.

"Are you still not finished, Potter? You may feel that your fame entitles you to a timetable of your own, but in this class I expect you to work to the clock." The Potions Professor said condescendingly.

Harry glanced up briefly but said nothing, instead taking a moment to bottle several samples of the finished potion. He quickly glanced around the classroom and noted that everybody else had finished and were now cleaning up, though there was one destroyed cauldron on the Slytherin side of the classroom that suggested that not all had gone well.

As he handed the finished potion to Professor Snape, the teacher looked on with disdain. "One point from Gryffindor for wasting time in my class, Potter. In future you need to actually apply yourself and get your work done on time."

As Professor Snape turned away, Harry glanced at his watch before he turned to Neville. The other boy looked puzzled.

"We've got five minutes to go before the end of the class," Harry whispered, "what did we do wrong?"

"No idea," Neville whispered back, "let's talk to one of the Prefects about this, see if they know anything."

* * *

><p>In the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore leaned back in his chair and massaged his wrist for a few moments. He had just finished the most recent pile of paperwork, which had involved the usual number of signatures that always left his hand aching.<p>

Sometimes the pile of parchment that appeared in his in-tray made him wonder if it was all worth the effort, as most of it was truly tedious drivel of almost no importance. Such was the burden of being both the Supreme Mugwump and Chief Warlock as well as Headmaster. It was only the fact that these positions were extremely useful in his ongoing efforts to finally put an end to Tom Riddle that kept him from retirement.

His latest move in that long-term game of wits was coming along nicely. The fake Philosopher's Stone was now safely in his possession and the security gauntlet was almost complete. He just had to wait for Quirrell to secure a troll and work out how to place the Stone in the Mirror of Erised.

Once that was done, he would then have to arrange to have something appear to threaten the security of the Stone such that Potter would find out. He was thinking of having Professor Snape pretend to try and steal it, but that might jeopardise his role as a spy within the ranks of the Death Eaters. Dumbledore resolved to discuss the matter with Severus later.

Quirrell's actions were a little out of the ordinary lately, though. Maybe he had designs on the Stone himself? Could he be an agent for Riddle? Or was he working for somebody else? There were certainly enough rich wizards and witches in Europe willing to pay handsomely for Flamel's famous Stone.

Dumbledore decided that Quirrell could do with some closer supervision. That would be another matter to discuss with Severus.

* * *

><p>Harry and Neville had approached Percy Weasley after dinner to ask about the point deduction Professor Snape had given them during their Potions class. Percy had listened carefully to the First Years' account, and seemed to be thinking it over as they finished. Finally the Fifth Year Prefect spoke up.<p>

"There isn't much that I can do as a Prefect," he began, "point deductions by staff are entirely up to them. What I can do is refer you to Professor Sinistra. As our Head of House, any protests over disciplinary measures should go to her first. Do you know the way to her office?"

Harry glanced at Neville, who shook his head. Harry turned back to Percy. "Um, not really. We haven't had to go there yet."

Percy nodded understandingly. "OK, let me show you the way. She should be available for student consultation right now, so let us go."

Percy led the two boys to Professor Sinistra's office, which was in the base of the Astronomy Tower. After consulting a list of consultation times stuck to the wall next to the door, Percy knocked briskly. The door opened almost immediately.

"Prefect Weasley? Is there a problem?" Professor Sinistra asked from behind her desk.

"These two students wish to discuss a matter regarding school discipline," Percy explained, "it is outside of my powers as a Prefect."

"Very well, you two come in and have a seat," the Professor said, "do you have a patrol to get to Mr Weasley?"

Percy glanced at the clock on the wall in Professor Sinistra's office. "Yes, I'm due in ten minutes. I better get to it."

"Very well, I'll escort these two back to the Gryffindor Dormitories once we're done." Professor Sinistra said as she waved the Prefect off. Percy nodded and left.

"OK, boys, what's the problem?" Professor Sinistra asked as Harry and Neville seated themselves in front of her desk. Harry swallowed nervously before he began.

Professor Sinistra listened carefully as Harry gave her an account of their Potions lesson, starting with the questions Professor Snape had asked at the start of the class and concluding with the point deduction for "wasting time."

"You say you finished on time?" The Gryffindor Head of House asked.

"Yes, Professor, we handed the potion in at least five minutes before the end of class." Harry answered.

"What about cleaning up after yourselves?" The Professor went on.

"I took care of that while Harry handed the potion in," Neville explained, "I was done before the class ended."

Professor Sinistra put her elbows on her desk and steepled her hands in front of her face as she looked at the two students in front of her. "I'm afraid I'll have to take this up with Professor Snape directly," she said at length, "from what you've said he had no reason to take any points off and it sounds like he was being antagonistic. I can't do anything about it right now, but rest assured that I will discuss this with him as soon as I can."

She stood abruptly. "Come on, I'll escort you back to your dormitory. You two should be thinking about getting to bed soon."

_It looks like Snape is reverting to type, _Aurora thought to herself as she led her students back to the Gryffindor Common Room, _I should let McGonagall know about this._

* * *

><p>At the old Black Family residence that Sirius had moved into, Remus Lupin finished writing the letter that he hoped would finally put the matter regarding the "Boy Who Lived" franchise to bed. Frankly it was fast going from the sublime to the ridiculous - at first the publisher had disputed that Sirius Black and Belldandy had any right to act on Harry's behalf to begin with. After that argument had been demolished with verified copies of Belldandy's guardianship forms, the publisher had then tried to argue that there was some sort of statute of limitations on the claiming of royalties and that Harry should have tried when the books were first published. A quick consultation with Sirius' solicitor had fixed that one rapidly. Now the dispute had descended into endless arguments regarding the actual percentage that Harry should receive - the first offer had been 0.5%, which had caused Sirius to laugh himself sick. Subsequent negotiations had not seen much improvement in the matter, which had led to the latest letter.<p>

"Finished then, Moony?" Sirius asked from the doorway where he was leaning on the frame. Remus nodded.

"Yes, all done. We just have to get your solicitor to look it over and then it'll be off to that damn idiot. Hopefully this will make him see sense."

Sirius grinned knowingly. "Sense? From that fool? Some hopes. I'm just hoping that hitting his vault like this will force him to at least pretend to be an adult."

Remus grinned back. The final threat was to effectively seize all rights to the "Boy Who Lived" franchise from the publisher outright, leaving the entire series as Harry's intellectual property. That, combined with threats to sue for all income derived from the series in the past, should be enough to scare the publisher into cooperating.

"How did it go at the Wizengamot?" Remus asked as he put the letter into an envelope, ready to go to Sirius' solicitor.

Sirius groaned at put a hand over his eyes. "About as well as you can expect. Every man and his dog wants a piece of me now that I have control over the Black Estates. I've already got offers for a whole bunch of business activities which we'll have to go over together later."

Remus looked at his friend with sympathy. While it was necessary that they shore up the Black Family finances, dealing with the leeches in the Wizengamot was enough to exhaust the patience of a saint.

"Are you absolutely sure that we need to go this quickly, Sirius?" Remus asked as he stood up.

Sirius looked up at where his fellow Marauder stood. "Yes. Now that Harry is at Hogwarts, we'll need all the political and economic capital we can get. You just know that those so-called 'innocent' Death Eaters won't be able to leave him alone. We're going to need a war chest and the connections required to fight somebody like Malfoy in the court of public opinion. That means influence in the Ministry and a big budget."

Remus nodded with a look of regret. "I'm afraid that you're probably right. Particularly when you look at how Malfoy has been going around shoring up his business interests recently. This isn't the life we thought we'd have when we left Hogwarts, you know."

Sirius laughed for a moment. "I'll say. You wanted to go into spell research, James wanted to be an Auror, I wanted a career as a professional prank artist and Lily wanted to be a teacher at Hogwarts when her children were old enough. Such a shame that our plans were ruined by a bunch of old fools, eh?"

"Too true," Remus replied as he walked over to join his friend in the doorway. "But for now, it is time to get something to eat."

"Damn right!" Sirius said as he stepped into the corridor outside Remus' office.

* * *

><p>Dumbledore sighed as he looked at the people in front of his desk. He had an intense feeling of déjà vu.<p>

"The brat is lying," Professor Snape said, "he's just complaining because I won't coddle him like everyone else."

"Nobody here at Hogwarts is coddling Mr Potter," Professor McGonagall said icily, "he has been quiet and attentive in all of the classes he has attended so far. The fact that your first class with Mr Potter has caused him to approach his Head of House says more about you than it does about him."

"Just because I enforce high standards during my classes..." Snape began before he was cut off by a visibly annoyed Astronomy Professor.

"There's having a high standard, Snape, and then there's bullying." Sinistra said firmly. "You started by asking Mr Potter three questions that were all beyond what a First Year student could be reasonably expected to answer in their first lesson, and then penalised him for 'wasting time' even though he finished on time."

"And you'll take that brat's word over mine?" Snape replied, sneering.

"I'll take his word and the word of several of his fellow students who were in the same class," McGonagall put in, "unless you're willing to accuse them all of lying, Severus?"

Snape just scowled, unwilling to confront the Deputy Headmistress.

"I want the point deduction cancelled," Sinistra said, looking at McGonagall, "and I want a guarantee that Professor Snape won't victimise Mr Potter and Mr Longbottom in class."

"That's fair enough," McGonagall said before Dumbledore could interrupt, "and I so rule. Severus, be warned that any further bullying of Mr Potter or Mr Longbottom - or their friends - will see you put on probation."

Snape turned his attention to Dumbledore. The Headmaster sighed again. "There isn't anything I can do, Severus, your actions have brought this on you. Please try to put your history with Mr Potter's parents behind you and don't let it poison your relationship with him."

The tight look on the Potions Professor's face did not give Dumbledore much hope.

* * *

><p>The day after their first Potions class, Harry received a letter from Draco Malfoy inviting him and Neville Longbottom to a meeting in one of the classrooms on the second floor. At the appointed hour, Harry and Neville went along to find Draco waiting for them with Crabbe and Goyle.<p>

"Hello, good to see you here." Draco said, standing as the two Gryffindor students entered.

"Likewise, Malfoy." Neville replied as he closed the door.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Harry asked as he approached the Slytherin students.

Draco gestured to some chairs close to where he and his fellow students were. "Take a seat, this might take a while. I wanted to talk to you about the wider Wizarding society and where people like us fit into it."

"People like us?" Harry asked as he sat down, Neville taking a seat next to him.

"Yes. We three are all heirs to Noble Families, as such we have a number of rights and responsibilities."

Harry nodded. "OK, so what in particular do you want to talk about?"

"As members of important families," Draco began, "we are in positions of great influence in our society."

"True," Neville put in, "we will have access to seats in the Wizengamot as well as a certain amount of financial power."

Draco nodded. "Longbottom is correct. One day we will be leaders in society, both politically and economically."

"I'm with you so far," Harry replied.

"Our positions mean that we have a responsibility to protect our society and preserve our ways." Draco continued. "There are many forces that could disrupt our way of life, and we will be in a position to protect our fellow wizards from them."

"What kind of forces?" Harry asked.

"I take it you are talking about the Muggleborn?" Neville asked with narrowed eyes. Draco bristled slightly.

"They are one of the things I was talking about," he said with a little acid, "but not exclusively. There are also those from other nations who would seek to impose their ways on us."

"What is the problem with the Muggleborn?" Harry asked with some confusion, "What threat do they pose?"

Draco sat up slightly straighter. "The Muggleborn have no knowledge of our customs and society, and generally seek to change our ways to something closer to the muggles ways of doing things."

"Well, it makes sense that they don't know anything about magical Britain," Neville replied, "the Statute of Secrecy means they won't know about it until they get their Hogwarts letter."

"So they arrive in what is, basically, an alien society to them," Harry said thoughtfully, "and try to bring a bit of their own society with them."

"That is exactly it." Draco said triumphantly.

"Is that such a bad thing?" Harry asked. The other boys looked at him oddly.

"I'm sorry?" Draco asked.

"My adopted parents come from two completely different cultures," Harry explained, "my adopted mother is from Norway while my adopted father is from Japan. The two countries have very different societies and cultures, but they've managed to make a life together that mixes the two very nicely. Now that they're in Britain they're adopting some of the local traditions as well. Mixing cultures can produce great results, I've seen it in my own family."

"The problem is that it disrupts things and causes trouble," Draco explained patiently, "the Muggleborn want to rush things and overturn centuries of tradition without respecting it."

Harry nodded. "I can see how that would create problems, but that doesn't mean we can't let our society adopt new ideas."

Draco shook his head. "Our society has lasted for centuries," he argued, "it is a proven system that has kept us safe. Changing it will only threaten our way of life."

"It could also improve it," Harry countered, "sometimes new ideas can make things better than they were before. I'm not saying that we should change everything overnight, but we should at least keep an open mind."

Draco was looking frustrated, but Neville inserted himself back into the conversation before the blond boy could say anything.

"I think that while we may disagree on some points, there is some merit to both positions," the Longbottom Heir said, "how about we all go away and think on things for now? We can continue this discussion later, and maybe bring fresh arguments with us."

Draco swallowed heavily, before he nodded. "Good idea. Shall we meet here again, the same time next week?"

Harry nodded as he stood up. "I think I'd like that. It was nice meeting you again, Malfoy."

As Draco stood up, Harry offered his hand. Draco looked surprised, before he extended his own. The two boys shook hands, before they headed for the door.

"You'll see that I'm right, Potter. I just have to persuade you." Draco said as they reached the door. Harry just grinned.

"Or maybe I'll bring you around to my way of thinking," he said as he opened the door, "after you?"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes:<strong>

Yeah, it has been a while between chapters. Sorry about that. I had a hard time writing Draco's meeting with Harry - I didn't want it to end in a shouting match, which is what you'd get from canon!Draco's views on "mudbloods."

Next time, the Giant Squid gets nervous after Hagrid has a dream about calamari.


	18. Chapter 18: Flying into Danger

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter or Oh My Goddess.

* * *

><p>Breakfast at Hogwarts was generally a noisy event, full of chatter from students as well as a rush of owls delivering letters and the daily newspaper. Harry quickly made his way to the Gryffindor table, sliding in to sit next to Neville who was reading a letter that a regal looking owl had delivered. On the table in front of him sat a small glass ball.<p>

"It's from my grandmother," Neville explained without being prompted, "this is her old Remembrall. It will light up if you have forgotten something." He looked away from the letter and regarded the magical orb in front of him. "Unfortunately it doesn't tell you what you have forgotten."

Harry nodded understandingly. "Still, it is better than nothing, right? At least this way you'll know that you have forgotten something, which could spark your memory."

Neville shrugged as he put the ball in a pocket. "I just wish my grandmother would stop treating me like I'm a fragile plant," he said as he reached for the boiled eggs, "ever since my parents were cured I've been a lot less forgetful."

Ron suddenly sat down across the table from them. "Broom flying today, it should be great!"

Harry grinned, it did sound like fun. "I sure hope so. My godfather has told me all about the Quidditch games here at Hogwarts, so I'm looking forward to trying a broom out."

Neville did not look at all happy about the news. "Oh, great. This sounds like a great way to get hurt."

"Nah, you'll be fine." Ron said as he helped himself to some scrambled eggs. Hermione looked slightly worried.

"I haven't been able to find any books on how to fly a broom properly," she said, "I'm worried about today's lesson."

Ron looked amused. "You don't learn how to ride a broom by reading," he said dismissively, "you learn by doing it."

Harry took pity on his fellow Gryffindor. "It's like riding a bicycle," he explained, "no amount of reading will prepare you for what it is like when you first try it."

Harry's explanation only seemed to make Hermione even more worried, while Ron and Neville both looked confused.

"What's a bicycle?" Neville asked.

* * *

><p>Skuld looked at her newly framed certificate with some satisfaction. It was the official document issued by the Norwegian Magical Academy for her <em>Sertifikat av Generell Magi<em>, also known as the SGM. An agreement between the Norwegian Ministry of Magic and the British Ministry of Magic meant that her SGM results were considered to be equal to NEWT results. With her SGM in hand, Skuld could now qualify for almost every magical job in Britain.

Skuld could not display the more important certificate in her home in Midgard. While passing the SGM tests was the public reason for her trip to Norway, most of her time had been spent on her final exams to qualify for her full Goddess Magical License. That had involved long and taxing days with multiple examiners, all under the broader supervision of Peorth. Now that she had demonstrated that she could use and control her innate magical ability in a responsible and intelligent manner, she was fully qualified for Midgard duty.

Of course, the fact that she qualified for Earth-side duty a few years after she actually first visited her sisters in Japan was conveniently ignored by the administration. They preferred to look at the positives that had come from that unorthodox action rather than the bouts of total chaos that the Norns could create when they lived together.

For Skuld, the completion of her formal magical training opened a lot of doors as far as her career in Asgard was concerned. At one time she had thought that being the supreme System Manager for Yggdrasil was her dream job, and she was certainly well on the way towards achieving that goal. But after a few years on Earth, and the knowledge of just how broad her abilities were, she was now contemplating new careers that she once would have discounted.

Fortunately for Skuld, any decision in that regard could wait. For now her role on Earth was more important - having been assigned to Belldandy's Prophecy Fulfilment task, she was committed to it until the job was finished. This did, however, leave Skuld with a new problem.

"Have you decided what you want to do now, Skuld?" Belldandy asked pleasantly as her younger sister turned from the framed certificate.

Skuld frowned as she thought it over. The real question was what Skuld was going to do in Britain's magical society for the next few years. Belldandy had neatly moved into the role of a stay-at-home mother and Urd had her shop in Diagon Alley. Skuld needed something to keep her occupied, preferably something that would give her a presence in Britain's magical community.

"I think Urd's idea was the best," Skuld said reluctantly, "pursuing a Mastery would give me more official qualifications and allow me to make myself well-known in some parts of the magical world here."

Belldandy smiled brightly. It was good to see Skuld willing to continue her education. "Have you any thoughts on which field, Skuld?"

The Norn of the Future glanced at the parchment that contained her final SGM results. She grinned as she returned her attention to Belldandy.

"Actually, I was thinking that a Mastery in Defence Against the Dark Arts might be a useful addition to round out our selection of qualifications." Skuld paused for a moment, before she continued with a more thoughtful expression. "I'd rather work on combining technology and magic, like they've done with the Wizarding Wireless. From what I've seen, though, I wouldn't get very far with the Wizengamot the way it is. So I'll work on that in private, and make Defence my public Mastery."

Belldandy nodded as she listened to Skuld's explanation. "That seems to be the wisest choice. Shall we have some tea?"

* * *

><p>Harry's first broom riding lesson at Hogwarts was, like Potions, a shared class with the Slytherin first years. As the first year students made their way to the open area designated for broom practice, there was a distinct gap that separated the two houses. Ron Weasley was noticeably staying as far away from the Slytherin students as he could, while some of the Slytherins that Harry had not yet met were pointedly walking as far away from the Gryffindors as they could.<p>

Draco Malfoy was one of the few Slytherins who seemed to be indifferent to the rivalry between the two houses, walking close enough to the Gryffindors that he managed to catch Harry's attention.

"Another meeting, tonight?" Draco asked just loudly enough for Harry to hear. Harry glanced at Neville, who was walking nearby, who shrugged in response. Harry turned back to Draco and nodded.

"Same time, same place?" He asked. Draco nodded in reply, before he turned his attention back to Pansy Parkinson who seemed intent on drawing Draco's attention to some feature on the castle.

When the first year students arrived, Madam Hooch was waiting for them. She fixed them all with a stern look.

"I am here to teach you how to ride a broom safely," she began, "there will be no mucking around in my class. Obey instructions immediately and do not fly beyond the marked area." She gestured at the edge of the grassy area they were assembled in, where a number of tall posts marked a boundary.

"Now, everybody stand by a broom and wait for further instructions."

Harry walked over to the nearest free broom and looked at it. While he had never ridden a broom before, he had seen the brooms owned by Sirius and Remus. His godfather had promised to get Harry his own broom once he had finished his first year of broom lessons at Hogwarts. The broom at Harry's side did not look to be in nearly as good condition as the top quality brooms Sirius had purchased.

"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!'"

"UP" everyone shouted.

Harry's broom jumped into his hand at once, but it was one of the few that did. Hermione Granger's had simply rolled over on the ground, and Ron's hadn't moved at all. Draco was looking particularly frustrated as his broom refused to budge.

"UP!" The blond Slytherin boy shouted again, managing to get his broom to twitch. Draco's look of frustration only increased. "**UP!**" he shouted again, with more force.

Suddenly the broom shot up into Draco's hand faster than the eye could follow. There was a sickening crunch as the broom hit the boy's hand. Draco paled, before tears started to leak from his eyes. Madam Hooch was by him almost immediately.

"Wretched broom," she muttered as she cast a charm on Draco, "the enchantments are definitely out of whack. Come with me, Mr Malfoy, I'm afraid your hand is broken."

As she escorted the injured boy away, she called over her shoulder to the rest of the class. "The rest of you stay put and don't get on your brooms! If any of you go flying without supervision I'll see to it that you are expelled!"

The rest of the class watched in silence as Madam Hooch and Draco disappeared into the castle. Ron looked like he wanted to say something, but stopped after Harry glanced at him.

"I had no idea that a broom could do that," Neville said as he looked at the broom in his hand nervously, "I'm a little worried about this now."

"Just relax," Ron advised, "these are old brooms and the enchantments aren't that good these days. They're more likely to just not take off than anything else."

"That's not really encouraging," Hermione said tiredly as she looked at her broom on the ground, "are these things really safe?"

Harry was in the process of opening his mouth to reply when Neville's broom suddenly jerked into the air, taking the surprised boy with it as he dangled by one hand. Neville looked panicked as he desperately grabbed onto the broom with his free hand.

"Hold on, Nev!" Harry cried as he looked around for any teachers who might be in the area. "Try to swing your leg over!"

Unfortunately there were no teachers in sight and Neville did not look like he was in any state of mind to do more than just hold on for dear life. After a moment's hesitation, Harry swung his leg over his own broom and kicked off as he had seen Sirius do on one occasion. He was relieved when he managed to take off, and urged his broom to intercept Neville's.

Ignoring the shouts from Hermione to get back down, Harry managed to come up below Neville and put a hand out under the boy's foot. "I'm going to push, Nev, try to get up and on your broom."

Neville nodded frantically and started to strain to haul himself up. With Harry's help he finally managed to get his leg over the broom, where he sat panting in terror.

"Thanks, Harry," the boy managed to gasp out as Harry came up level. Harry looked down and was amazed to see that the two of them had managed to rise to a height of over 80 feet.

"Have you got control of that broom now? Do you think you can get it down?" Harry asked. Neville looked at his broom nervously, trying to ignore just how high up they both were.

"I think so," Neville began when he suddenly looked at his pocket. Harry followed Neville's eyes and saw his Remembrall about to fall out.

"No!" Neville said as he quickly snatched at the Remembrall. He missed, and the magic ball began to fall. Even as Neville looked on in horror, Harry reacted rapidly and pointed his broom towards the falling ball.

Urging his broom down, he raced after the falling Remembrall. Ignoring the rapidly approaching ground, he overhauled the ball quickly and snatched it out of the air. With the ball safe in his hand, he pulled the nose of his broom up as hard as he could, pulling out just a foot above the grass. He quickly came to a stop and tumbled off his broom onto the grass, looking up to see Neville coming back down at a more sedate pace.

"HARRY POTTER!"

Harry's heart sank faster than he'd just dived. Professor McGonagall was running toward them. He got to his feet, trembling.

"Never, in all my time at Hogwarts, have I seen such an act of recklessness!"

Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously, "— how could you?! You might have broken your neck!"

Before the Deputy Headmistress could say any more, Hermione had run over and had started a rapid explanation of what had happened. Ron had gone to check on Neville as he finally returned to the ground.

As Hermione wound down, McGonagall fixed Harry with a stern look.

"Mr Potter, you will come with me. The rest of you put those brooms down and go wait in the Great Hall. I will let Madam Hooch know that your lesson today has been cancelled until we can check these brooms over."

With that McGonagall turned towards the castle and walked off at a brisk pace. Harry hurried to keep up, hoping that Madam Hooch's comments about expulsion were just an exaggeration. Eventually the Deputy Headmistress stopped outside of a classroom and opened the door.

"Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?" She asked. Harry was puzzled. What wood?

Wood turned out to be a fifth year student who looked to be as confused as Harry.

"Follow me, you two," said Professor McGonagall, and they marched on up the corridor, Wood looking curiously at Harry.

"In here."

Professor McGonagall pointed them into an empty classroom. She shut the door firmly and turned to face the two boys.

"Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood — I've found you a new Seeker."

Wood looked delighted. Harry was even more confused.

"I thought first years couldn't play Quidditch?" He asked tentatively. McGonagall shook her head.

"First years are not allowed their own brooms, but they can be a member of their House Quidditch team if their Head of House allows it. I don't think Professor Sinistra will disagree with me on this."

"How good is he, Professor?" Wood asked.

"I saw him catch a falling Remembrall from at least 80 feet up," McGonagall said with a warm look, "Charlie Weasley couldn't have managed it."

Wood looked even more delighted. He turned to Harry. "Have you ever seen a Quidditch game before?"

Harry nodded, thinking of the game he had received as a gift.

"He's just the build for a Seeker, too," said Wood, now walking around Harry and staring at him. "Light, speedy — we'll have to get him a decent broom, Professor. Maybe a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, something fast and agile."

"I'll arrange something with Mr Potter's godfather," McGonagall replied, "the Gryffindor team could certainly use the help."

Wood clapped his hands and turned to look Harry in the face. "I'll run you through some drills this weekend, Potter."

Harry just nodded. The entire experience was just too surreal for him.

* * *

><p>A few hours after Draco Malfoy was injured by a malfunctioning broom, an impromptu meeting took place in the Headmaster's office. The mood was extremely tense, causing Fawkes to shift uneasily on his perch.<p>

Albus Dumbledore looked across his desk with a calm expression that revealed little. Seated opposite the aged Headmaster was an extremely angry Lucius Malfoy.

"Just what the hell are you playing at in this school, Dumbledore?" Malfoy hissed, "Are students routinely injured by their equipment here? Should we be worried that the beds will spontaneously catch fire in the middle of the night?"

Albus sighed as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on the desk. "I believe that a short review of the Board papers of the last decade will reveal, Mr Malfoy, that numerous requests have been made for funding to be provided to acquire new brooms. Unfortunately the Board of Governors has never seen fit to replace our current broom collection, and as such Madam Hooch has been forced to make do."

Malfoy raised an eyebrow imperiously. "And yet we never hear of brooms failing during school Quidditch matches."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow to match. "That is because the House Quidditch teams maintain their own brooms and equipment, which are usually supplied by old scholars or by the families of team members. Sadly no former student has seen fit to acquire new brooms for the flying classes."

Lucius Malfoy brooded for a moment, staring at a sleeping portrait of a former Headmaster. "So," he said at length, "just how many brooms does Hogwarts need for its flying classes?"

"At least fifty, and preferably more," Albus said at once, "they do not need to have the best performance though they should be high quality. Most of the broom makers currently offer brooms designed for beginners."

Malfoy paled slightly. "Fifty new brooms, Headmaster? Have you any idea just how much that will cost?"

"Not as much as you might think," Dumbledore replied evenly, "as we will not be purchasing the best brooms available. Brooms for beginners are a lot cheaper due to the lower performance, though the quality of the workmanship varies by brand. I believe that Madam Hooch already has a model in mind should the school ever acquire new brooms."

Lucius Malfoy brooded for a few moments, before he stood up abruptly. "Very well, Headmaster. I will call for a meeting of the Board of Governors to discuss this issue. I believe that this recent incident should allow for this issue to be seen in a new light. I will let you know of any further development."

"Thank you, Mr Malfoy," Dumbledore said as he remained seated, "I hope that any future news I hear regarding this will be good."

* * *

><p>Harry did not see Draco again until dinner that evening. The blond boy was already sitting at the end of the Slytherin table, trying to eat with one hand. Harry watched him for a moment before he walked over.<p>

"Are you alright?" Harry asked as he got close. Draco looked up in surprise.

"I'm fine. Madam Pomphrey cast some charms to immobilise the bones and then gave me some Skele-Gro. I just can't use my hand until tomorrow, and it won't stop aching."

Harry blinked. "It'll heal that quickly?" he asked.

Draco looked at Harry oddly. "Of course. That's what the potion is for. It just hurts while it works."

"Oh," Harry replied, "I guess I'm not used to having magic around to help heal things."

Draco shook his head. "This is just another reason why wizards are superior to muggles."

Harry grinned as he spotted the apparent resumption of the debate. "I thought you were on about purebloods, not just wizards. But that can wait until you aren't growing new bones."

Draco nodded. "I think we'd best delay our next discussion until I'm well."

Harry nodded back, and then walked to the Gryffindor table. He sat down next to Neville, across from Hermione and Ron.

"Why did you go and talk to Malfoy?" Ron asked as soon as Harry had sat down.

Harry glanced at the red-headed boy as he reached for a bowl of peas. "He's hurt, and I wanted to see how he was getting on."

Ron glowered. "You'd be better off not hanging around the likes of him."

Hermione looked up sharply. "And why is that? I know he has said some nasty things about muggleborn, but just what is wrong with talking to him?"

"Leave it alone, Hermione," Neville interrupted before Ron could reply, "the Malfoys and Weasleys have been at loggerheads for as long as I can remember. Personally I think Harry has every right to talk to Draco if he wants, provided he doesn't start to spout the same views."

"No chance of that happening," Harry said as he ladled gravy onto his potatoes, "my whole family doesn't count as pureblood by Malfoy's standards, so I'm hardly going to suddenly agree with him."

Ron glared at Neville for a moment, before he turned back to Harry. "So, what did Professor McGonagall say?"

Harry took a sip of water before he answered. "She put me in the Gryffindor Quidditch team as Seeker."

Ron choked on his pumpkin juice as Neville's eyes widened. Hermione just looked confused. "Can she just do that?"

Harry looked at his plate as he thought about it. "I'm not sure. She said that there is no rule about having no first years in the team, other than getting permission from my Head of House."

"What about your guardians?" Hermione promptly asked.

All three boys paused as they thought about it. "I guess Harry will have to write them and ask. They'll have to get him a broom if nothing else." Neville eventually offered.

Harry nodded firmly. "I'll write to them as soon as we get back to our dorms tonight."

* * *

><p>Hedwig barked gently as she offered her letter to Belldandy. Urd looked up from some notes she had been writing as her sister petted the owl with one hand while holding up the letter with the other.<p>

"It's a bit of an odd hour for Harry to be writing, isn't it?" Urd asked. Harry normally waited until the morning before sending a letter. It had taken a while for everybody to stop being surprised at Hedwig's ability to fly from Hogwarts to Hinckley in a bit under an hour.

"It is," Belldandy replied, "he has been invited to join the Gryffindor Quidditch team. I was under the impression that first year students were not allowed to play."

Urd scratched her nose as she thought about it. "I guess we should floo Sirius and Remus. They'll know."

Belldandy nodded as she stood up and walked to the floo. A few judiciously placed charms had allowed them to use modern gas burners in place of the traditional coal, making the whole exercise a lot cleaner and easier to turn off.

Belldandy stuck her head through the fire once she had established a connection and held a brief conversation that Urd could not overhear. After a few minutes Belldandy withdrew from the fire and stepped to one side, allowing Sirius and Remus to emerge.

"I hope we did not disturb anything important," Urd said blandly, noting that both men were dressed up more formally than normal.

Sirius shrugged. "I was going on a date and was dragging Moony along to meet her friend. Sadly they cancelled on us just before Belldandy floo'd us."

Urd tutted gently. "Tough luck. So what can you tell us about the Quidditch teams at Hogwarts?"

Remus cleared his throat before he answered. "The short answer is that while first year students aren't allowed to have their own brooms at Hogwarts, they can join the Quidditch team if their Head of House approves. In the past they would have used a team broom, but exceptions can be made if the staff want to."

Sirius grinned broadly. "I think it's a great idea for Harry to join. Especially as Seeker. We just have to get him a broom that's suitable."

"What would you recommend?" Belldandy asked. Urd was not at all surprised that her sister seemed to be willing to agree to this. _She never did a thing to discourage Keiichi from any of his insane racing events, regardless of the danger. My sister, the adrenaline junky._

"Something with good acceleration and top speed," Remus replied, "manoeuvrability would be a plus but it often comes down to a race between the Seekers. Harry will need to be able to get going rapidly and be faster than his opponent."

"The Nimbus 2000," Sirius said decisively, "it is fast, quick and handles like a dream. It is perfect for a Seeker."

"It is also expensive," Remus added, eyeing his old friend, "just how much are you willing to spend on this?"

"Bah, I can afford it," Sirius replied dismissively, "I'll contact Minerva and sort it out. Harry should get it tomorrow."

"That's wonderful!" Belldandy said warmly, "would you like some tea?"

* * *

><p>Some early morning negotiations between Sirius Black and Minerva McGonagall resulted in Harry receiving an oddly-shaped package at lunch the day after his eventful flying lesson. Ron and Neville leaned in close as Harry removed the packaging to reveal a brand new broom.<p>

"Cor, that's a Nimbus 2000! You are so lucky." Ron said in wonderment as he gazed at the broom. Neville was just as impressed.

"I have to agree, though I think I'd be too scared to try riding it." Neville said as he turned back to his lunch. Hermione was sitting across the table from them and looked uncertain.

"Is that a fast broom?" She asked tentatively.

"The fastest on the market. It also handles really well." Ron replied, not taking his attention away from the broom being discussed.

"Is it really the right broom for a 1st year student? I mean, it seems so dangerous." Hermione continued, looking worried.

Harry thought about it for a moment as he read the letter that had come with the broom. "I'll be OK, Hermione, it says here that my Aunt Belldandy helped pick this out. If she's happy with it then I should be fine."

Hermione looked a little more reassured and resumed eating. Harry had just put his broom to one side when Fred and George Weasley came up behind him.

"Well done, we heard that you got on the team," one of them said.

"And you already have a great broom, which is a relief," the other continued.

"Our last seeker was stuck using a clapped out old Cleansweep and was always being out-manoeuvred," the first remarked.

The second commented, "Bad show all round. Gryffindor hasn't had a decent game since Charlie left to go chase dragons."

"If you want any tips, just ask," the first offered.

"But as we are both Beaters and have no experience as Seekers, take what we say with a grain of salt," the second concluded.

"Be seeing you," both chorused as they departed. Harry watched them go with a bemused expression on his face. He turned back around and caught Ron's eye. Ron just shook his head.

"Don't ask, not even Mum knows how they do that," he muttered as he grabbed the pitcher of pumpkin juice.

* * *

><p>Life, for Harry, was pretty good for the week following his unexpected admission to the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Oliver Wood had run him through several Seeker drills, starting with catching golf balls before working up to a practice Snitch that Oliver claimed was the same type used by professional Quidditch leagues. Harry had not been convinced but had decided to not argue the point, instead concentrating on learning his role as Seeker as conscientiously as he could. Oliver Wood had assured Harry that he was already better than the previous Seeker had been, at least as far as spotting the Snitch was concerned.<p>

His lessons had been good, Harry finding that his time spent with Aunty Belldandy had put him in a good position to pick up the practical side of things very quickly. Learning habits he had acquired from his school and from his adopted family allowed him to cope with theory based lessons quite easily, Harry finding that at times he was helping Ron and Neville understand some of the ideas behind their lessons.

The only fly in the ointment was the conduct of Professor Snape. While his behaviour in class was not nearly as abrasive as it had been during Harry's first Potions lesson, outside of class the Potions Master was continually harassing Harry and his friends.

Points deducted for minor breaches of the uniform code were common whenever Professor Snape was near. In fact just about any infringement of the school rules was met with points deductions regardless of the severity of the offence. To make matters worse, it seemed as if Professor Snape was only ever a short distance from Harry and his friends whenever they were not in class.

After yet another penalty from Professor Snape (this time for reading a school library book outside of the castle), Harry decided that he needed to do something. Accordingly, he went back to Percy Weasley, this time with Neville and Hermione in tow.

Percy listened to Harry's account quietly, only asking a few questions to clarify some parts of the narrative. After Harry finished, Percy looked to the other first year students who only nodded to confirm Harry's account. Finally, the fifth year Prefect sighed.

"Again, I can't do much about this other than take it to Professor Sinistra. But I can tell you now that it sounds like all of these point deductions were at least by the rules, even if it does sound like Professor Snape is picking on you."

Percy took the three students to see their Head of House immediately, who listened to Harry's tale of woe carefully. Eventually she just shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Mr Potter, but this is not something I can really deal with. All of those penalties were according to the school rules. I have to agree with Percy that it does look like Professor Snape is targeting you more than he should, but there is nothing official that we can do."

She paused, and stared at a paper-weight on her desk that looked suspiciously muggle in origin.

"You could try contacting your guardians. They might have a few ideas. Of course, I can't tell you to do that in my position as Head of House, but it is something to consider..."

Harry nodded glumly, and went back to his dorm to find writing materials. Shortly thereafter, Hedwig was winging her way to Hinckley again.

* * *

><p>Urd woke up to the smell of bacon frying. She paused as she got dressed as the smell registered. While breakfasts in the Norn household often varied from traditional Japanese food to more Western dishes, the smell was strong enough to suggest that Belldandy was cooking a lot of food.<p>

"What's going on? It smells like she's trying to cook breakfast for the entire Motor Club," Urd muttered as she made her way to the dining room. Once there she found a rather distracted Belldandy tending to her children while the table was piled high with breakfast foods. Keiichi was sitting next to his children, helping Belldandy while eating with a distracted air.

"OK, what's got you this upset this early?" Urd asked her sister as she sat down and helped herself to some scrambled eggs. Belldandy just looked upset and gestured to a piece of parchment sitting at an empty place on the table.

"Harry wrote to us last night. There's something wrong at Hogwarts." Keiichi explained as he eyed his obviously unhappy wife.

Urd raised an eyebrow as she took the letter and began to read. After finishing, she gently laid it down and started to eat. After swallowing some toast, she spoke up again.

"So, when do we go and turn him into a frog? Or would a toad be better?"

Belldandy looked up sharply. "You don't go for a start. You have a business to run. As for what to do with that...bully, I'm tempted by your suggestion but I think we need to be more circumspect."

Urd nodded, realising that Belldandy's temper was quite thin. "Fine, I'll go and tend to the shop. How about you ask Sirius and Remus about this? They may have some ideas. If push comes to shove you can have Skuld look after the twins while you go to Hogwarts to deal with this."

Belldandy's forehead creased as she thought about it. "That is a good idea. I'll floo them both after breakfast."

* * *

><p>At lunch that day, Albus Dumbledore was entertaining some unexpected guests. Sirius Black had floo'd shortly after breakfast with a demand for an immediate meeting. While the Headmaster had been able to put the Head of House Black off until lunchtime, he had been unable to find out just what the meeting was about.<p>

Sirius started things off immediately, skipping the normal pleasantries. "We're here to deal with that bullying prick you have teaching Potions, Headmaster."

"Language, please! Can I ask just why Professor Snape needs to be 'dealt with?' Just what has brought you here today?" Albus asked as pleasantly as he could.

Sirius snorted and threw a piece of parchment across the Headmaster's desk, while Belldandy sat quietly and watched. Albus picked up the parchment and read Harry's account of his interactions with Professor Snape. After finishing the letter, he stood up and retrieved a ledger from his bookshelf that contained a summary of all the point awards and penalties made over the year. Flipping to the week just gone, he quickly found all of the incidents that Harry had put into his letter. Sighing, he put the book back down and looked at his guests.

"You realise that I had no knowledge that this was going on?" he asked.

"Of course. But you still have a responsibility to keep your staff from abusing their positions." Sirius replied bluntly.

Albus nodded and summoned a house elf. "Could you please ask Professor Snape to come up to my office at once?"

The office was quiet after the house elf disappeared on its errand, the background sounds of sleeping portraits and the headmaster's various magical instruments being the only noise. Finally, the Hogwarts Potions Master came into the office.

"You called for me, Headmaster?" Professor Snape asked evenly. Dumbledore nodded.

"We have received a complaint regarding your treatment of one of the students, Severus." Albus explained.

Snape just scowled. "Is this about Potter again? Just what has that spoilt brat been lying about this time?"

The temperature in the room seemed to drop suddenly as Belldandy _frowned. _Fawkes shifted uneasily on his perch as the young woman stood and faced Snape directly.

"My son is not spoilt," Belldandy said forcefully as she took a step towards the Potions Master. Several of the headmasters in the portraits woke up abruptly.

"He is not a brat," Belldandy said as she took another step. Fawkes chirped once and disappeared in a burst of flame.

"He is not a liar," Belldandy grated out with her third step. In the lake next to Hogwarts, the Giant Squid began to swim away from the castle, with the local merpeople following in its wake.

"He is well-behaved at home," Belldandy almost snarled as she took another step, bringing her within arm's length of Professor Snape. Sirius and Albus were frozen in place, while the Potions Master had gone completely white. In the Forbidden Forest the centaurs and spiders had begun to move away from Hogwarts, following the unicorns who had already bolted.

"He is unfailingly polite and helpful, adores his brother and sister and never makes trouble," Belldandy spat out as she backed Snape into a corner. Students through-out the castle stopped what they were doing as a sense of unease came over them. In the kitchens, the house elves cowered under tables.

"You insulted him in class, you have been bullying him by abusing the school rules and have just cast aspersions on his character with no cause. _I will not stand for this kind of behaviour and will do whatever it takes to see it stop. __**Do you understand me, Professor?" **_Belldandy somehow managed to sound like she was about to eviscerate the unfortunate Potions Professor without raising the volume of her voice. Albus and Sirius were nervously eyeing the floo, wondering if they could escape before Judgement was brought upon Snape. The recipient of Belldandy's ire was so terrified that his muscles had locked up, leaving him unable to look away. The furious look on the young woman's face was only inches away from his own, and seemed to fill the entire universe. Eventually he managed to nod his head, almost imperceptibly.

Belldandy leaned back, her expression relaxing from outrage to simple annoyance. "Then I hope I won't have to come back to this school to address abusive behaviour again. Is that understood?"

There was a short pause, which was eventually broken by Albus. "Yes, we understand. And there will not be a repeat of this kind of behaviour while I am Headmaster of this school."

With that he fixed his Potions Professor with a glare. Snape noticed this and winced, realising that he was on his own in this.

"Very good, then we'll let ourselves out," Sirius said as he rose and offered an arm to Belldandy. "Oh, and this also means I won't have to raise this with the Board of Governors. I have been thinking about applying for a place on the Board, so I'm sure we'll be able to discuss staff conduct at a later date."

Belldandy managed to calm herself down as she let Sirius escort her from the Headmaster's office. Sirius was taking her out of the school via the front gate, hoping that the walk would calm her down. In the Headmaster's office, Snape's legs gave way and he slumped against the wall. Finally, he looked at Albus who was busy pouring himself a large glass of fire whiskey.

"Just what is she?" The Head of House Slytherin asked with a raspy voice. Albus took a large sip before he answered.

"Somebody we don't want to anger. Bear that in mind when you have dealings with Mr Potter."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes: <strong>It has been said in some quarters that there are War Gods who are scared of Belldandy when she gets really angry. It takes a lot to get her annoyed to that level, but when she does...even her father gets worried.


	19. Chapter 19: Life's Lessons

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of Harry Potter or Oh My Goddess.

* * *

><p>The gossip around the tables at dinner that evening revolved around the strange sense of unease that everybody in the castle had felt during lunch. None of the students knew what had caused it and the staff refused to talk about it. Harry listened to the theories that were being discussed around the Gryffindor table while he sawed at a loaf of bread. He turned as he heard a polite cough a short distance behind him. Twisting around on the bench, he saw Draco and his two hangers-on standing a respectful distance from the table.<p>

"Hi there! It looks like your hand is OK." Harry said as he stood to greet the Malfoy heir.

"Yes, it didn't take long, though it felt like forever." Draco said as he moved a step closer. "Now that I'm well again I'd like to resume our discussions."

"Sure," Harry said with a glance to Neville, who nodded, "same time and place?"

"That will be fine," Draco replied with a slight drawl, "hopefully this time we won't be delayed by broken bones."

Harry grinned. "Let's hope. See you later, Malfoy."

Draco nodded and walked back to the Slytherin table. Harry sat down again and went back to cutting slices of bread. Hermione looked up from her soup and glanced at where Draco had gone.

"What discussions have you been having with Malfoy, Harry?" Hermione asked diffidently.

"He's trying to persuade me that magic should be left to Purebloods only. I'm trying to convince him that the non-magical world has a lot to offer the magical world." Harry replied as he reached for the butter.

Hermione looked intrigued. "Really? How are you doing with that?"

Harry laughed briefly. "So far we've only had the one time to talk, as that broom broke his hand before we could meet again. So I guess we're both trying to figure each other out."

Hermione nodded, glancing at Neville. "Um, is there a chance I could come? I used to be part of my school's debating team."

Harry paused, and then looked at Neville with a raised eyebrow. Neville looked thoughtful.

"Well, we could use some help to get our points across," Neville said after some consideration, "but Malfoy's not that tolerant of anybody who isn't a Pureblood. He only talks to Harry because he's the heir to the Potter family. He'd probably ignore everything you had to say purely because your Muggleborn."

Harry noticed that Hermione was looking downcast, and quickly jumped in on the end of Neville's explanation. "Look, we'd appreciate the help. I don't really know how to get my point across and Neville has little experience in the non-magical world. Maybe you could help me get some notes put together?"

Hermione brightened up at that, while Ron just looked confused. "What's the point? It isn't like Malfoy is going to change his mind," he asked.

Harry regarded the red-head. "Well, he might. I won't know if I don't try, will I?"

Ron shook his head. "Just look at his father. He was one of the top Death Eaters, and has tried to push through anti-Muggle laws in the Wizengamot several times."

Harry looked to Neville again, who just nodded. "That's true, but Draco isn't his father. We at least owe him the courtesy of hearing him out and trying to show him the good side of the Muggle world." Neville replied.

"Why don't you help us as well, Ron? You might have some ideas that we would miss." Harry asked.

Ron looked a little surprised, then puzzled. "Well, OK. Just so long as I don't have to talk to Malfoy myself. I just don't know what I can do to help."

"Don't worry, we won't force you two together," Harry said with a smile, "and don't worry if you can't think of anything at first. This will be a matter of learning as we go."

* * *

><p>After the "broom incident" life at Hogwarts settled into a comfortable routine. Harry found himself in a regular pattern of classes, Quidditch training, homework, socialising with his friends and talking about the future of magical society with Draco. Even Professor Snape seemed to have stopped his harassment of Harry, the worst behaviour being the occasional dirty look during class. This change in behaviour was noticed by many, and was the topic of some lengthy discussion that ultimately came up with no firm conclusions. Harry knew from his letters from home that Sirius and Aunty Bell had met with the Potions Professor, but he could get no more details beyond that. He decided that whatever had happened at the meeting, the result was a welcome drop in the level of hostility.<p>

Hagrid had written to Harry to extend an invitation to his hut for tea. Harry went along with Ron, Neville and Hermione to discover that the Keeper of the Keys was very talkative and friendly, even if his baking skills left a lot to be desired. As Hagrid was willing to tell stories about what the parents of Harry, Neville and Ron had done when they were at Hogwarts, the students made a point of visiting the half-giant at least once a week.

Harry's discussions with Draco quickly evolved into lengthy debates that saw both boys putting considerable effort into researching their arguments. Hermione rapidly became engrossed in her research into the culture of Britain's magical society while Ron often offered insights into magical/muggle relations that he had heard from his father. Neville quickly established himself as an umpire for the debates, keeping the atmosphere calm and polite. Harry felt that he was unlikely to persuade Draco around to his point of view, but he was learning so much about the new society he had entered that he was never reluctant to go to another meeting.

Working with his friends on the debates extended into collaborating on homework assignments. At first Ron was thoroughly disinterested in the work, and was far more keen on playing Wizard Chess. Harry indulged him a bit, and discovered that Ron was actually very good at the game. Eventually, though, Harry decided to bring Ron back to reality.

"Ron, let me tell you about my Aunty Skuld," Harry began one evening after Ron asked for another game.

"OK," Ron said warily.

"When she was a teenager, she dropped out of school to join her sisters in Japan. My Aunty Bell had gone to Japan on an exchange program and Aunty Skuld wanted to be with her," Harry said.

"Right," Ron replied.

"The problem was that when she arrived in England, she still hadn't finished her schooling," Harry went on, "and she had to catch up several years of work very rapidly."

Neville looked up from an essay he was writing. "Where was she going to school before she went to Japan?"

"The Norwegian Magical Academy. They couldn't go to Durmstrang because they weren't purebloods." Harry answered, before he looked back to Ron. "The thing is that when she was catching up on all the missed work, she was doing little else other than attend class. From morning to evening she'd only have time for short breaks from working, and that was on weekends as well."

Ron looked horrified at the idea of losing his weekends.

Harry continued, "So you can see that it is a good idea to get your work done without putting it off for too long. Because sometimes a little work now saves a lot of work later. Let's get our homework done then play chess, that way we get it out of the way and we won't have to worry about it."

Ron reluctantly agreed and settled down next to Harry and Neville to work on his Charms essay. Harry found that while Ron and Neville both had a hard time explaining himself in essays, their understanding of the material was usually pretty good. Harry found himself thankful that his previous school had taught him how to write essays, as it helped him guide Ron and Neville in their own writing.

Time seemed to pass quickly under the new routine, which meant that Harry was surprised to find that Halloween had arrived. Halloween had not been a very big event in Hinckley, with most celebrations being private affairs for friends and family. Harry's own family had marked the occasion with small parties and Halloween decorations, but there had been no "trick or treating" or widespread celebration that Harry had ever noticed.

The morning of Halloween had seen the first year Gryffindors attending another Charms lesson. There was some excitement in the classroom, as Professor Flitwick had started the lesson by announcing that it was time to learn the levitation charm.

"Now remember," Professor Flitwick said as he concluded his explanation, "pronunciation is key. It is Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, with a nice long 'gar' in the first word. And don't forget to swish and flick!"

As the students started to try and levitate their feathers, Harry thought back to his previous magical lessons. Harry remembered levitating objects with Aunty Bell during his magic lessons at home, but he had not used a wand or words for that. He concentrated on trying to "feel" his magic the way that Aunty Bell had helped him with, moving his wand and saying the words quietly with closed eyes. After two attempts he felt something similar to his lessons with Aunty Bell and opened his eyes to see his feather floating a good foot off the desk.

Harry looked around and saw that Seamus had managed to set fire to his feather and was busy beating it out. Ron was at the next desk over with Hermione and seemed to be having no luck at all.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" the frustrated red-head cried, waving his arm wildly. The feather refused to budge, and Ron just looked annoyed.

"You're saying it wrong," Hermione snapped, "you need to emphasise the 'gar' in Wingardium."

"Well if you're so good, why don't you do it?" Ron retorted.

Harry leant over and put a hand on Ron's arm just as Hermione seemed to be drawing breath to reply.

"Calm down, Ron. You can't force this, so let's start again from the beginning, OK?" Harry said gently, earning an irritated glance from Ron. The other boy just nodded, and relaxed his arms a bit.

"Put your wand down for the moment and just close your eyes. Take ten deep breaths, count them off. Relax your muscles and think of something else for a minute." Harry went on. Ron looked at Harry curiously, but followed the instructions. Soon Ron looked a lot more relaxed.

"OK, pick up your wand and let's try it from scratch. Practice the swish and flick first, don't say the words, just try the wand movements. Don't put too much effort in, small movements will do." Harry said, trying to remember how Aunty Bell and Aunty Urd had coached him through difficult lessons.

Ron practiced his wand movement a few times, with Harry placing a hand on his shoulder whenever the movements got too large.

"OK, that looks good. Now let's try that with the words - and remember that pronunciation is important, it is wing-GAR-dee-um LEV-ee-OH-suh." Harry said, making sure to emphasise the syllables of the spell.

Ron tried again, and managed to float the feather a few inches off the desk.

"That's got it. Just practice that a few times, and remember to keep calm and don't force it. I have a hard time casting anything when I'm frustrated, so I have to calm down when I'm practicing something tricky." Harry finished as he straightened up and looked back to his own desk.

"Thanks, Harry." Ron said as he looked at his feather.

Harry caught Hermione's eye, as the girl had been watching the impromptu tutoring session closely. He nodded briefly before he turned back to the lesson.

Once the class had finished, Harry told Neville to take Ron back to the Gryffindor Common Room for a game of Wizard Chess before the next class started. Neville looked at Harry strangely at the request, but saw that Harry was eyeing off Hermione who was still packing her belongings away.

"OK, Harry, I'll get Ron to relax," Neville said as he went over to Ron and lead the boy off. Harry sighed as he went up to Hermione and handed the girl one of her textbooks.

"Oh, thanks Harry. Did you want something?" Hermione said as she looked up. Harry nodded.

"Yes, I wanted to have a quick chat before the next class." Harry replied as the two started to leave the classroom.

"What about?" Hermione asked curiously as they reached the door.

Harry sighed again. "Look, I know you were just trying to help Ron back there," he began. Hermione bristled before he could get any further.

"Do you have a problem with me helping people in class?" Hermione asked acidly.

Harry just looked at her steadily until the girl shifted uncomfortably. "No," he said at length, "but you need to be careful when you give advice. Ron was frustrated back there and I could tell that your tone was just annoying him even more. If I hadn't got him to calm down then things could have gotten very nasty back there."

"So, what, I'm just supposed to let him find his own way?" Hermione replied in a sarcastic tone.

"No," Harry said as tactfully as he could as the two resumed walking, "but you need to be a bit more diplomatic about it. The way you were acting back there was just a little too bossy for somebody like Ron."

Hermione looked hurt. "You think I'm just a know-it-all, don't you," she said in a sad tone. Harry shook his head vigorously.

"No, I don't," he said quickly, "I know from what we've done for my debates with Draco that you like helping people, particularly with studying. But teaching others is difficult and there are times when you need to be very careful in how you handle somebody's feelings."

Hermione looked at him curiously. "How do you know this anyway?"

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "Well, part of it is from watching some of the teachers at my old school deal with angry kids in class. Some of them would just shout, and always had trouble in their classrooms. But there were a few who would do what I did back there - calm the kids down, get them to relax and then start over again slowly. My Aunt once pointed those teachers out as being better at getting people to learn."

Hermione nodded. "I think I see your point," she said after a minute or two of reflection, "I've never really taught anybody before."

Harry smiled at her. "Just remember that you're trying to help somebody learn, rather than tell them what to do," he said, remembering something that Aunty Bell had once told him, "especially when we're all about the same age."

"Fine," Hermione huffed, "now when does our next class start?"

"We've still got plenty of time," Harry said has he opened the door to an empty classroom, "how about we talk about our old schools while we wait?"

* * *

><p>Dinner that evening saw the Great Hall festooned with more Halloween decorations than Harry had ever seen before in his life. While he appreciated the effort, he thought the thousands of bats swooping around was a bit over the top.<p>

Harry was listening to Hermione and Neville discuss some aspect of their Herbology textbook when Professor Quirrell ran into the hall shouting something about a troll in the dungeons. The feast came to a rapid end as the Headmaster called for all students to return to their dormitories.

As the students were herded towards their respective dormitories, Harry glanced at Ron.

"How did a troll get inside the castle? I thought this place was supposed to be secure."

Ron shrugged as they reached a set of stairs. "No idea. Maybe it found an old entrance that hadn't been sealed up properly. They're really strong so it could have forced something open."

"Will we be safe in the dormitory?" Hermione asked, looking around nervously.

"Sure," Ron replied, "Percy said that the doors to the dorms are charmed to be unbreakable."

Harry thought that the whole incident was very odd. He decided that he would write to his family about later.

* * *

><p>Later that evening, Dumbledore frowned as he contemplated the reports he had received. The troll had been found and removed from the castle, but it had been up on the third floor rather than the dungeons. Furthermore he had a report from Professor Snape to the effect that he had found Professor Quirrell approaching the secure room on the third floor.<p>

It did not make any sense. Quirrell had no obvious ties to Voldemort, so unless he had been an unmarked follower there was no reason for the man to be doing the Dark Lord's bidding. Furthermore, releasing a troll into the castle and trying to use it as a distraction while he went after the Stone seemed to be an extremely clumsy plan from somebody of Riddle's demonstrated tactical ability.

Dumbledore decided that while it was unlikely that Quirrell was working for Voldemort, the man's actions required more scrutiny. He resolved to discuss the matter with Severus in the morning.

* * *

><p>For Harry, the weeks following Halloween were full of Quidditch. His first game was coming up, and as a result Oliver Wood had decided to go full bore with the training regimen. The Gryffindor Team found itself being woken up early most days for pre-breakfast Quidditch drills, followed by after-dinner training sessions that came perilously close to violating curfew. Harry found the training to be exhausting but also extremely useful, as he learned a lot about how to be a Seeker in a team. While he was restricted to catching the Snitch, there was nothing in the rules that prevented him from flying to distract the opposition if he had the opportunity. Wood had originally wanted Harry to stay up and out of the way, worried about having the Slytherin Beaters target a 1st Year Seeker, but Harry's demonstrated skill with the broom had seen a change in tactics.<p>

Learning to coordinate his actions with those of the rest of the team was difficult, but Harry recalled several games of his Quidditch "board game" during which Remus had used his Seeker model to completely bamboozle Sirius and allow for a few extra goals. With those memories firmly in mind, Harry was able to come up with a style that seemed to work with the rest of the team. The Weasley twins quickly caught on to Harry's approach and adjusted their own plays to suit, resulting in plays which had Harry flying to disguise the Bludgers from the view of the opposition.

When the day of the game finally dawned, Harry found that he had little appetite at breakfast. It took Hermione and Neville between them to get him to eat anything. As Harry was nervously pushing scraps of bacon around his plate, he was interrupted by the arrival of Hedwig. Taking her place on Harry's shoulder, she held out her leg to reveal a letter. Harry took the letter and gave Hedwig a scrap of bacon from his plate, which she devoured gleefully before flying off to the owlery. Harry watched his pet fly off as he absently opened the letter.

"What is it?" Neville asked as he saw Harry's face relax a bit.

"It's from Aunty Bell," Harry said with some warmth, "she wanted me to know that she will be attending today's game with my godfather and his friend."

Ron looked up from his toast. "Who's your godfather?"

Harry put the letter away and returned to his breakfast before he answered. "Sirius Black. He bought me my broom as well."

Hermione looked over curiously. "Is a godparent something special in the magical world?"

Harry tuned out the conversation as Neville explained just what a magical godparent's role and responsibilities were. He had not mentioned the words of encouragement that his Aunty Bell had included in the letter. Somehow just reading them had improved his mood a lot.

* * *

><p>Belldandy looked around the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch with interest as Sirius and Remus cast warming charms around their seats. "I had no idea that Hogwarts had a ground like this," she marvelled.<p>

Sirius chuckled as he put his wand away. "This was all built with money donated by former students who were all big Quidditch fans. There are bigger Quidditch pitches around but this is the largest of any school in Europe."

Remus nodded as he eyed the crowd carefully. "I never played, but even the most studious Ravenclaws take time out to watch these games."

"Well it is a very exciting sport," Belldandy said brightly as she looked in the direction of the Gryffindor team rooms, "I've certainly enjoyed the games I've been to."

Sirius nodded as he held up a cup for Remus to pour tea into. "Why didn't Keiichi come today? We could have got him here in spite of him being a muggle."

Belldandy shook her head gently as she accepted the cup of tea from Sirius. "He doesn't like watching a game like this when he knows he cannot compete. I think he'll be happier looking after the children today. He does enjoy every moment he can spend with them."

"The game will be starting soon," Remus noted as he put his thermos of tea away, "do you think the game will be anything like the ones played when we were here?"

Sirius snorted gently as he watched his tea cool. "With Snivellous in charge of Slytherin, I imagine the snakes will be cheating just as much now as they did in our day. Which is one reason why I wanted to come along today."

"Ah, yes, your new position on the Hogwarts Board of Governors," Remus said with a broad smile, "I take it that you will be looking to raise some standards of behaviour?"

"Too right," Sirius replied as he glared in the general direction of the Hogwarts Potions Master, "this school has a code of conduct and I won't tolerate a bunch of snakes trampling it underfoot."

"Even though you ignored it at whim when pulling your pranks?" Belldandy asked innocently, causing both men to shift uneasily. "Never mind, here come the players."

* * *

><p>"...and I want a good, clean game." Madam Hooch finished, looking directly at the Slytherin Team who all looked a bit bored. The Slytherin Captain, Marcus Flint, just glared at the Gryffindors as if he wanted to duel them rather than play Quidditch. Harry glanced at Oliver Wood, who rolled his eyes.<p>

Madam Hooch blew her whistle, and both teams quickly rose into the air. Harry quickly flew up to a position that was generally considered to be the best place for a Seeker to start the game, as it offered a good view of the entire field of play while remaining close enough to the area that would see the most action with the Quaffle. From here he would be able to assist his fellow team mates while keeping an eye out for the Snitch.

Harry could hear Lee Jordan's commentary in the background, punctuated by frequent interjections from Professor McGonagall. Angelina Johnson had taken the Quaffle and had started to weave her way up the pitch. Harry saw the Slytherin beaters start to manoeuvre to set themselves up to send a bludger at the Gryffindor Chasers. After a quick look around for the Snitch, he dove down to try and run interference.

Swooping past the eye-line of the closest Slytherin Beater made him miss the Bludger completely, raising howls of anger from the Slytherin stands. Harry pulled up tightly to regain height, dodging the other Bludger in the process. As he returned to a good Seeker position, he noticed that Gryffindor had managed to score the first goal of the game.

Harry settled in to a search pattern that had been described in one of Wood's books on Quidditch tactics as he scanned the area for the Snitch. He saw the Weasley twins start to set up for one of their "disguised Bludger" plays that the team had developed when suddenly his broom started to buck like a wild horse.

* * *

><p>Belldandy was thoroughly enjoying the high speed sport being play in front of her, but there was little that could take her attention away from watching her adopted son. Sirius and Remus were also watching Harry closely, but were also careful to observe the rest of the game.<p>

"Hah, I knew it. Blatant foul there by that Slytherin Beater while Hooch was looking the other way," Remus growled as he lowered his omnioculars. Sirius grunted in acknowledgement, his own pair focused on the Slytherin Seeker.

"That one has been watching Harry more than he's been looking around for the Snitch," he muttered, "he's either going to try and steal the Snitch after Harry spots it or he's waiting for a chance to have a go at him."

Remus focused his attention on the player in question. "Probably looking for a steal, though how he expects to do it on that broom is beyond me. There's too much attention on the Seeker for the snakes to try anything obvious."

Belldandy suddenly gasped lightly, attracting the attention of her companions. "What is it, Belldandy?" Remus asked.

"Harry's broom - there's something wrong with it!" the young woman cried as she lowered her omnioculars to point.

Sirius and Remus quickly directed their attention to Harry and saw the boy trying hard to stay on as his broom bucked and jerked erratically. "Bloody hell, that looks like somebody is casting a Jinx on it! Who the bloody hell-" Sirius half-shouted.

Remus rapidly cast his eyes around the crowds, looking for anybody with their wand out. He saw nobody casting at Harry until he looked at the Slytherin stands.

"There! Snape has his wand out and is casting at Harry!" Remus snarled as he reached for his wand.

"No, stop! That's a counter-curse! Leave him alone!" Belldandy said quickly as she drew her wand from a wrist-holster. "I will take care of this."

Sirius and Remus started at the young woman in amazement as she went through a series of wand movements faster than the eye could follow while muttering under her breath. As she finished, a thin beam of silvery energy raced from her wand to Harry, enveloping the boy and his broom with a shield that quickly became invisible to the naked eye. The effect was instantaneous, as Harry's flight smoothed out immediately.

"There, that ought to keep him protected for the rest of the game," Belldandy said with satisfaction as her companions just blinked in shock, "any luck spotting who was casting the Jinx?"

* * *

><p>Harry was breathing raggedly as his broom stopped trying to throw him off. Holding on had taken everything he had, and he was only now able to look around at the game in progress. The game had gone in during his difficulties, with Gryffindor slightly ahead on goals. The Weasley twins seemed to be preparing for another coordinated Bludger attack when Harry saw a flash of gold. The Snitch had finally made its appearance.<p>

Harry started to race for the Snitch as quickly as he could, remembering to try and steer for where the Snitch would be rather than directly at it. This was hard as the Snitch would change direction at random, forcing Harry to make quick course corrections. Dodging a bludger that one of the Slytherin Beaters had sent in his direction, Harry was closing in on the Snitch when he noticed one of the Slytherin players approaching rapidly. Realising that it was the Slytherin Captain flying in to block him from the Snitch, Harry pulled into a barrel roll. Marcus Flint careened underneath Harry, having been caught out by the manoeuvre, leaving Harry to quickly resume his chase of the Snitch. The Snitch seemed to be able to sense Harry's approach, as it managed to jump out of Harry's reach the first few times he tried to catch it, but he finally caught it just as Angelina Johnson scored another goal.

Madam Hooch blew her whistle to mark the end of the game, and Harry quickly flew down to join his team mates.

"Well done! That was an excellent game all round!" Wood cried as the team gathered.

"Well, apart from Harry's broom trying to kill him," one of the Weasley twins said.

"Yes, I was a bit surprised when it tried to throw him off at over a hundred feet up," the other twin continued.

"Was this part of the plan or did you just add it to keep us on our toes?" the first twin finished.

Oliver looked at Harry with surprise. "I didn't see anything but I was watching for the Quaffle and Bludgers. Did something happen, Harry?"

Harry nodded as he looked at his broom. "It started bucking around in the middle of the game, and I could only just hang on to it. Luckily it stopped pretty quickly."

Alicia Spinnet, one of the other Chasers, looked at the broom carefully with a puzzled expression. "It's a brand new broom so the enchantments should be OK. Maybe we should ask Hooch to look over it for you."

"Good idea," Angelina said, "now let's go celebrate our win!"

* * *

><p>Even as a party started in the Gryffindor common room, Albus Dumbledore found himself hosting Sirius Black in his office for another tense meeting.<p>

_And now he's on the Board of Governors. When it rains, it pours. _Albus thought sourly as his guests made themselves comfortable. He cast a wary glance at Harry's adoptive mother, mindful of what had happened the last time she had been in this office. The presence of Belldandy Morisato was the principal reason for the absence of Professor Snape, for all that the Potions Master had played a significant role in the day's events.

"I'll be blunt, Headmaster," Sirius began, "there's something hideously wrong when any student has a Jinx Curse cast at their broom when they are flying. The fact that it happened to Harry, the 'Boy-Who-Lived,' just makes it seem very suspicious."

"I am aware of that," Dumbledore said carefully, "and I will be launching a thorough investigation to determine who it was that attacked Mr Potter in this way."

"Which won't get very far unless you're willing to check the wand of everybody who was at the game today," Remus interjected smoothly, "which we all know won't happen. So you're stuck looking at likely suspects, which would include every student who has a Death Eater in the family."

"Surely you cannot believe that any of the students would be capable of trying to kill Harry?" Dumbledore asked, shocked at the implications.

"I can easily believe it, and don't call me Shirley." Remus replied, knowing full well that the reference to muggle culture would fly right over Albus' head. "Sirius and I both saw examples of freshly graduated students taking the Dark Mark and indulging in horrific crimes just weeks after the NEWT exams back when we were students here. How many of the seventh years here have Death Eaters in the family?"

"There's no need to drag up unpleasant parts of the past," Albus blustered, "I think it is more likely that an adult was the culprit. The Jinx Curse is not taught here for obvious reasons, and the only books that include it are in the Restricted Section of the Library."

"So, assuming that none of the students with access to the Restricted Section is to blame," Sirius retorted, "you're now just looking at the staff and visiting family members? Such a small group to look at."

"I will investigate this thoroughly," Dumbledore said firmly, "you have my word on that."

"I'm sure you will," Belldandy replied in a pleasant tone, "but your ability to inquire will be limited. Would it not be best to notify the DMLE?"

"I think that would be going too far at this stage," Albus blurted out, "for all we know this was just a prank."

"Pretty extreme for a prank," Remus mused, "even the Marauders did not go so far as to risk anybody's life."

"Oh, really?" Albus remarked, glaring at Sirius, "perhaps your memory is slipping because I recall one occasion that almost went tragically wrong."

Sirius looked pained. "That event was never intended to go as far as it did. It was a case of verbal teasing that went badly wrong. This event could not possibly be anything other than malicious."

Belldandy stood up, prompting the others to follow suit. "I believe we have discussed this enough. We will defer to your judgement for the moment, Headmaster."

"Thank you," Dumbledore said with some relief.

"But, please remember one thing," Belldandy said as she turned towards the door, "we expect that you will notify us if anything else of this nature happens to Harry. And if he comes to harm due to the deliberate actions of anybody at this school..."

Belldandy turned back to the Headmaster and fixed him with a glare. Fawkes suddenly found the floor extremely interesting and fixed his gaze on it.

"I will be coming back to make my displeasure known in person. I will also bring the DMLE in to investigate it fully. Good day, Headmaster."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes: <strong>Yes, another long break between updates. Sorry about that. Thanks to everyone at Caer Azkaban who helped with this.

In the original book, Harry was told to fly high and stay out of the way during his first Quidditch game. This is a pretty good tactic for a player who is younger and smaller than every other player, not to mention inexperienced and not fully confident. This Harry has at least some background knowledge of Quidditch and is a lot more confident in himself, hence the greater participation in the game.

Next time: A Very Special Harry Potter Christmas. Sponsored by the makers of Butterbeer.


	20. Chapter 20: Gifted

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of Harry Potter or Oh My Goddess.

* * *

><p>The weeks leading up to Christmas saw the arrival of a winter the likes of which Harry had not seen before. It started snowing regularly in December, until the school and its grounds were covered by several feet of it. The cold weather made the unheated and draughty corridors of Hogwarts so cold that the Weasley twins claimed that they had seen one of their potions freeze solid during their walk back from the Potions classroom in the dungeons.<p>

The general level of anticipation amongst the students was almost palpable, though Harry had noticed that Ron was not quite as enthusiastic as some of the others.

"It'll be my first Christmas away from home," Ron explained when Harry asked him about it, "Mum and Dad are taking Ginny to Romania to visit Charlie, so we're all staying at Hogwarts for Christmas. Percy and the twins have done it before, but I think I'm going to be the only Gryffindor first year who is staying."

Harry nodded once Ron had finished. He knew that Neville was keen to go back home for Christmas, as he had spent most of them up until that point without his parents. Dean and Seamus were also going back home, and none of the girls were staying.

"Well, I'll write to you while I'm at home," Harry said, making a snap decision, "I know it won't be for long but I'll let you know what's going on."

"Thanks Harry," Ron said sheepishly, "though you just reminded me of something. Can you please send mum your address? I've mentioned you a few times in my letters home and I think she wants to send you a gift at Christmas."

"Sure, I'll let Aunty Bell know. Though you know this means I have to get you a present as well." Harry replied with a small smile.

Ron grinned back. "Sure, go ahead. I'll be looking forward to my own Nimbus 2000..."

"Prat." Harry retorted as he gently slapped Ron on the shoulder.

* * *

><p>"Sirius? Can you please give me some advice?" Belldandy asked through the Floo. Sirius looked up from his ever-present mound of paperwork with a smile.<p>

"Anything to get me away from this lot. What do you need?"

"Harry wrote to me to say that the Weasleys want to send him a Christmas present this year," Belldandy explained, "he wants to give one to Ron. Do you know what would be appropriate?"

Sirius rubbed his chin as he thought. "Well, you don't want to go over the top. The Weasleys are known for turning down anything they see as charity. How about something Ron really needs rather than something that is frivolous?"

Belldandy looked thoughtful. "What would he really need that I could give him as a gift?"

Sirius scowled as he considered what he knew about the Weasleys. He looked at his inkwell as he began to think out loud, "Well, if I know the Weasleys, Ron is probably using a wand that he inherited from somebody else in the family. That's never a good idea, you should always use a wand that is suited to you. But we'd have to get Ron to Diagon Alley for Ollivander to fit him properly."

"What about a gift certificate?" Belldandy asked innocently.

Sirius just looked puzzled. "What's a gift certificate?"

Belldandy briefly explained the muggle concept, using a few of the stores she knew Sirius was aware of as examples. Sirius was soon nodding.

"Sounds good to me, but you'll have to explain it all to Ollivander first. I'm sure he'll figure something out. As for the rest of the family, I'd suggest sending something simple but personal. Remus mentioned that Molly is known for sending hand-knitted jumpers and home-made fudge to people as presents, maybe something like that?"

"I can handle that easily!" Belldandy said with a beaming smile.

* * *

><p>The Hogwarts Express left Hogsmeade on the 21st of December, taking those Hogwarts students who were spending Christmas with their families back to London. Harry wondered if it was inconvenient for those students who lived closer to Hogwarts than they did to London, but when he mentioned it to Hermione she had suggested that those students might have other arrangements.<p>

The train was smaller than it had been on the 1st of September, and the carriages were not nearly as full. Harry quickly claimed a compartment in the middle of the train, where he was joined by Hermione and Neville.

"Do you have any plans for Christmas?" Harry asked as the train started to move.

"Not really, beyond the usual family get-together," Hermione replied, "the holiday isn't really long enough to go on any big trips so my parents usually don't bother until the summer holiday."

"I have the usual family celebration," Neville said, "apart from the fact that my parents will be attending. A few of my relatives still cannot seem to cope with them being around."

"It must be nice to have them back." Harry commented, shifting slightly to get more comfortable.

"It is," Neville agreed, "though their presence means some parts of the family won't be around."

"What? Why?" Hermione asked, looking puzzled.

"Well," Neville began as he gathered his thoughts, "for a while my relatives weren't sure if I was a wizard or a squib, as I didn't have any bouts of accidental magic. So they kept trying to force it out of me."

"How?" Harry asked.

"One time they pushed me off a pier. I almost drowned." Neville replied, glaring out of the window. "My parents were not happy about any of it when they were told about what had been going on, so now some family members are off the invitation list."

"I should think so! To think that anybody would endanger a child's life just to force accidental magic! It's horrible!" Hermione stated, looking quite angry.

"I think we'll be having a family gathering again," Harry said quietly, looking to defuse the tension, "it'll be nice to see everyone."

"Do you usually have big family events like that?" Hermione asked.

"Only since I started living with my Aunty Bell," Harry replied, "not before that."

"Where were you before that?" Neville inquired, looking curious.

"Well..." Harry began, wondering just how to explain it.

* * *

><p>Keiichi gently rocked his children in their baby buggy as he waited for the Hogwarts Express to arrive. He had originally thought to drive down from Hinckley but Sirius had insisted that they use a portkey to save time. Keiichi had worried about whether it was safe for his children to travel by a portkey, but Belldandy had assured him that all would be well.<p>

Belldandy was chatting to Remus with half an eye on her children while Sirius seemed to be busy watching the crowd. It was mostly comprised of parents waiting for their children to arrive from Hogwarts, with a few staff members and Aurors mixed in. Sirius and Remus had already arranged to celebrate this Christmas with Keiichi's family, as they had every year since they had reconnected with Harry.

Keiichi glanced around the rest of the platform. He was feeling a little self-conscious, as he was the only person present who was not wearing robes of one sort or another. Well, he was the only man present who was dressed "muggle" at least, Belldandy had elected to wear one of her favourite outfits.

Sirius suddenly stirred, and took a small step in Keiichi's direction. Keiichi looked up at the taller man, a questioning expression on his face.

"Don't worry, I'm just being cautious," Sirius muttered, just loud enough for Keiichi to hear, "that's Malfoy over there. He's been glaring in our direction ever since he arrived. He probably won't try anything, but I'd rather be prepared."

"Should I be worried?" Keiichi replied, matching Sirius' volume. Keiichi was not worried about his children, as he knew that Belldandy had spent several hours carefully applying protective spells to the baby stroller.

"No." Sirius answered shortly. "Malfoy and I have a history going back to his days as a Death Eater. He also doesn't like the fact that I've taken the Black money and Wizengamot seat away from him. If he makes trouble, he'll be focusing on me." _Or at least I hope so, _Sirius thought to himself, _I'd rather not see Belldandy vaporise Malfoy in front of everybody if he threatens her babies. It would be hard to explain to the DMLE afterwards._

The sound of an approaching train attracted everybody's attention, though Sirius was careful to keep the Malfoy family within his line of sight. He noted that Narcissa was looking slightly apprehensive while Lucius had schooled his expression to an almost perfect Poker face. _Narcissa will be hoping that her attempts to turn Draco into a human being have not gone to waste, _Sirius mused, _so much can happen while he's away with a bunch of Pureblood heirs._

Eventually the train came to a halt and students started to emerge from the carriages. Harry emerged with a girl Sirius did not know and a boy Sirius recognised as being Neville Longbottom. As soon as Harry spotted his family he pointed them out to his friends. The trio started to walk in the general direction of Harry's family, though Sirius noticed the Longbottoms and a married couple he assumed were the Grangers were moving towards the three students.

Neville and Hermione had already met and greeted their parents by the time the group reached Harry's family. Sirius took it upon himself to carry out the introductions, in part due to his status as Lord Black but also thanks to his urge to be the centre of attention. The Grangers were pleased to meet another set of "muggle" parents in Keiichi and Belldandy, or at least parents who lived in the non-magical world. The Longbottoms were just happy to see Neville again, though meeting the girl who had featured in a number of Neville's letters home was a bonus.

Eventually the three families separated to make their way to their respective homes, after some business cards were exchanged and promises made to stay in touch. Harry was looking at his siblings as the rope-turned-portkey activated to take them all back to Hinckley.

* * *

><p>Ron Weasley woke up on Christmas morning to an empty room. He was the only first year Gryffindor boy to stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas holiday, and while he tried to put on a brave face the empty room drove home the fact that his friends were gone.<p>

Not that it was too bad. With most of the student population gone and no classes scheduled, the staff were more relaxed and inclined to socialise with their students. There were obvious exceptions - Snape probably did not know what "social" even meant while Filch seemed to be determined to become the dictionary definition of "anti-social." But Ron had discovered that Professor Sprout was more than happy to chat with any student who approached her, provided that at least half of the conversation related to plants in some way. Professor Sinistra turned out to be a good chess player, good enough that Ron had to really concentrate. So far they were tied, which made the Astrology Professor the best chess player Ron had ever played against.

As Ron got up, he noticed a small pile of presents at the end of his bed. After putting on his slippers to guard against the cold floor, he approached the pile and began to sort through them. For the most part it was the same sorts of gifts from the usual family members. There was one addition to the usual collection, however, an envelope that was addressed to Ron in Harry's hand-writing.

Puzzled as to what sort of present could fit into an envelope, Ron carefully opened it and pulled out a Christmas Card that was decorated with kittens wearing Christmas hats. Inside the card was a piece of folded parchment which Ron put to one side as he read the message inside.

_Merry Christmas Ron! I hope you find the gift certificate useful. _

_Harry Potter_

Ron noticed that there were several other signatures under Harry's name, which he assumed were from the rest of Harry's family. He unfolded the parchment that had been inside the card and read the message it contained.

_Ollivanders_

_Gift Certificate_

_This certificate may be exchanged for one fitted wand from Ollivanders_

At the bottom of the parchment was an illegible signature and an elaborate wax seal. Ron tried to read the text on the seal but it looked to be in Latin, which Ron was not at all familiar with. He returned his gaze to the main message.

Ron blinked as the message sank in. "Best. Gift. EVER!"

* * *

><p>Dumbledore sucked on a lemon drop as he stared out of the window of his office. The buildings and grounds of Hogwarts were covered in a blanket of snow, which looked deceptively soft and comforting. Normally the Headmaster would have taken a moment to appreciate the view and marvel at how the snow changed the appearance of the school he had long considered his home.<p>

Today, however, he was not in the mood. This was Christmas morning and the day was reminding him of just how badly his plans had been derailed. He had wanted to gradually move into a mentor role for Harry Potter, easing the elder wizard into a position where he would be able to guide the Prophesied Boy. With the Boy-Who-Lived looking to the Headmaster for advice, Dumbledore would have been well-positioned to finish off the threat of Voldemort and his followers for good.

Harry's family was being an obstacle to that goal. A lot of it was unintended - Harry had no reason to go to the Headmaster for help when he had a proactive Head of House and supportive family behind him. Sirius Black, on the other hand, had made it very clear that whatever trust had once existed between the Marauders and the Headmaster was gone. As Harry's Godfather and a newly appointed member of the Hogwarts Board of Governors, Sirius could and had created large barriers between Dumbledore and Harry.

Still, there were still things he could do. He had followed the advice of Urd Odinsdotter and had investigated the methods of avoiding death that Tom Riddle might have been able to discover. Dumbledore was fairly certain that Riddle had not engaged in any creative ventures of his own - as a student Tom had been far more interested in rediscovering "forgotten" Dark Arts. Dumbledore had narrowed down the possible methods used by Voldemort to a short list of three types of magic. All three were horrifying in every aspect and were frustratingly obscure as a result, at least in Britain. Albus had entered into negotiations with the Headmaster of Durmstrang to gain access to their library over the summer holidays, as the Scandinavian school's library of the Dark Arts was more extensive than Hogwarts'.

As far as Harry was concerned, Dumbledore had taken a small step towards establishing a closer relationship. Sending the boy his father's Invisibility Cloak would be a good way to start to establish trust.

* * *

><p>For Molly Weasley, Christmas started with her waking up in a room she did not recognise. It took her a moment to remember that she was not at home, as she was in Romania to visit her son Charles.<p>

Being away from the Burrow for Christmas was a fairly strange experience. As such Molly was distracted enough that she did not notice the Christmas presents that had somehow appeared at the foot of the bed she shared with her husband until breakfast was well and truly over. She was puzzled by their appearance as she had not expected any more gifts to arrive - everything in that regard had been organised before the Weasley family had left the UK. It was only after opening the first card that she realised who had sent the presents.

With her husband and only daughter gathered, Molly started things by opening the present that was addressed to her. She had sent Harry a hand-knitted jumper and some home-made fudge, but as she did not know the full extent of his family she had only sent a card for everybody else. Harry's family, represented by somebody called Belldandy, had sent the Weasley family members a hand-knitted scarf each. In addition to that, Molly's present had included a number of carefully crafted marzipan pigs. Belldandy had included a note that explained that marzipan pigs were a Christmas tradition in Norway.

Molly smiled as she read the note, already planning on sharing the pigs amongst her family. It was nice to see that Harry's family were good people.

* * *

><p>It was Harry's third Christmas at Hinckley, and he was now familiar with how the day went with a loving family. He had managed to lose his habit of waking up early before he went to Hogwarts, but on Christmas he set his alarm clock to go off at the time that Aunty Bell usually got up. After helping his Aunt prepare breakfast, the whole family gathered to take their time over the morning meal. The conversation was kept light and everybody made a point of ignoring the pile of presents that were under the Christmas Tree.<p>

Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were due to join the family at midday for lunch, and it had been agreed that nobody would touch the Christmas gifts until then. Harry spent the morning playing video games with Skuld and Urd, though this was complicated by the sisters arguing about which gaming system to use. Keiichi had caved in to the demands of Skuld to acquire the new Sega console, while Urd had purchased a Nintendo for herself. As there was only one TV and three consoles in the house, Skuld and Urd clashed over what to play first. Belldandy ultimately intervened left the choice to Harry, who decided to see just what the Nintendo was like.

Sirius and Remus arrived a good half hour before lunch, arriving through the Floo with a bag full of magically shrunken presents. Lunch was a joyous occasion, with plenty of banter around the table. When it finally came to opening the presents, Harry noticed that there were three packages he had not expected.

The first was from the Weasley family, and contained some fudge and an emerald green woollen jumper. Remus commented that Molly Weasley had probably made both items herself. The next was from Hagrid, and contained a hand-carved wooden flute. The last present did not name the sender, and contained a mysterious object that seemed to be made of a silvery material. Sirius' eyes lit up as he saw it.

"That's James' old invisibility cloak! I was wondering where that went. That's an old Potter heirloom, and we used it for all sorts of fun when we were at Hogwarts."

"I'm guessing that he leant it to a friend before he went into hiding," Remus said softly, "and they've decided to return it now that you're at Hogwarts."

Nobody mentioned out loud that the hand-writing in the attached card was recognisably that of Dumbledore. Harry spent some time looking at himself in a mirror as he covered himself in the cloak in various ways while the adults talked about the cloak and what it could do.

"OK, it is time to clean up! Once we're done we've got some new board games to try this afternoon. Who wants to help me clear the table?" Belldandy finally said, getting things back on track. Harry put the robe away carefully before he joined his Aunt in clearing the table.

* * *

><p>Harry Potter and his extended family all gathered at King's Cross Station on the 5th of January for Harry's return trip to Hogwarts. The holiday had been a welcome respite for Harry, giving him plenty of time to relax in the company of his family. Sirius and Remus had been regular visitors during his break from school, even if the weather had not really allowed for any of the outdoor activities that Harry usually enjoyed with his Godfather and pseudo-uncle.<p>

Harry was surprised to find himself looking forward to returning to Hogwarts. He had been puzzled by this until he realised that it was more that he was looking forward to seeing his friends again. He had been able to catch up with his local friends around Hinckley during the break and had sent several letters to Ron, Hermione and Neville. All three had replied with varying degrees of detail, with Ron mostly commenting on the Christmas celebrations at Hogwarts while Hermione and Neville wrote about their own family events. Hermione's letters were usually several pages in length, which had prompted Skuld to comment about the excessive detail.

As Harry's family walked up Platform 9¾ Harry saw Neville and Hermione with their families gathered by a carriage. Neville noticed Harry's family approaching and said something to Hermione, who promptly looked around and waved. Harry waved back and sped up his pace, the rest of his group matching him.

The three families were soon gathered into one large group that had several conversations going on simultaneously. Eventually the three Hogwarts students boarded the train after many hugs were exchanged. Harry settled down in their chosen compartment while Hermione pushed her trunk around, trying to get it to sit evenly in the overhead rack.

"So, good Christmas?" Harry asked Neville, who was sitting across from him.

"It was very good," Neville replied with a small smile, "thanks for the present by the way."

"It was nothing," Harry said with a small shrug, "just a small certificate for that gardening shop in Hogsmeade."

"It was well appreciated though," Neville said earnestly, "thanks very much."

Harry smiled back. "Come on, you already sent me a thank you note. Don't make too much of a big deal out of it."

"It was very thoughtful all the same," Hermione said as she sat down, "thanks for the gift certificate for Flourish & Blotts. I didn't even know that wizarding shops did certificates like that."

"They didn't until Aunty Bell suggested it," Harry commented as the train started to move, "though I don't know if this will be something permanent or not."

"It makes sense to me," Neville replied, looking out the window as the scenery started to move past the window with increasing speed.

"So, you both did your homework during the break, correct?" Hermione said as she pulled out what looked to be five foot long essay.

* * *

><p>When the three first year Gryffindors returned to their dormitory, Harry found himself engulfed by an enthusiastic hug from Ron. Naturally this garnered some commentary from Ron's brothers.<p>

"Merlin's balls, George, do you remember the last time Ron hugged anybody like that?"

"Not since he was given that signed poster of the Chudley Cannons, Fred."

"Maybe Harry bought the team and gave it to our little brother."

"That would be a great present! How much do you think it would cost, maybe ten Galleons?"

"Nah, eleven Sickles should be enough."

"We could afford that! Right, that's Ron's next birthday sorted out."

"Shut it, you two," Ron said as he released Harry, "no bad-mouthing the Cannons! Sorry about that Harry, but that was the best Christmas gift you could have given me."

"What did he give you?" Hermione asked, clearly curious.

Ron reached into his robe and pulled out a wand. It was noticeably newer than the one he had before the Christmas break.

"Harry got me a certificate of some sort from Ollivanders. One new wand and fitting. Professor McGonagall took me to Diagon Alley a few days after Christmas to get it after I told her about what Harry had given me. She said I needed a new wand as my old one wasn't a good fit."

"That was thoughtful of you, Harry," Hermione said, "but are you going to make a habit of giving out gift certificates for everything?"

"Is that what you call them?" One of the twins asked.

"We got one each for Zonko's, we've already traded them in for some useful stuff." The other added.

"Never seen anything like them before, even the bird at the counter looked surprised."

Harry decided to cut the twins off before they went off on a tangent. "Actually, Hermione, I only sent them this year because I had a hard time trying to figure out just what to get all of you. I hope that by next year I'll know you all a bit better so I can pick something a bit more personal."

"That sounds very kind of you, Harry," Percy interjected, "my apologies for not giving you anything this year. My thanks for the certificate to Scrivenshaft's, it will be very useful the next time I visit Hogsmeade."

"Don't worry about it, Percy," Harry replied, "I didn't really think of giving any presents this year until fairly late."

"Well, time for dinner," Neville said as he glanced at the clock, "let's get our trunks back up to our rooms before we go down."

* * *

><p>Hogwarts quickly went back to normal once the students had returned from their Christmas holiday. Harry found himself in the now familiar routine of classes, homework, Quidditch training and interacting with his friends, fellow students and the occasional member of staff. Chief amongst the latter was Hagrid, who had struck up a rapport with Harry and his friends before the Christmas break and had given them all a standing invitation to visit him in his hut. Harry's debates with Draco Malfoy resumed as well, where Hermione's background in debating proved valuable. Harry was not sure if Draco was ready to have a muggleborn turn up and participate, but he made sure that Hermione was kept as involved as possible. Ron was also able to make some valuable contributions, mostly by providing an alternative view on magical society. Ron was also able to provide Hermione with useful avenues of research, chiefly by relating work stories he had heard from his father. The tales of Arthur Weasley's struggles with "muggle toys" and the wizards and witches who got mixed up in charming muggle objects revealed a lot about how badly the magical world misunderstood the muggle one.<p>

It seemed like no time had passed at all before the Quidditch game against Hufflepuff was upon them. Oliver Wood had gone into overdrive, scheduling training sessions for every spare moment the team members had. Eventually Professor Sinistra had gently reminded the team captain that an exhausted team would not perform as well as a rested one, and that students still had to get homework done. The training schedule eased up slightly after the intervention, but Wood was still keen on training every waking hour of the day.

Oliver Wood's determination only increased after he learned that Professor Snape would be the referee for the game against Hufflepuff. Most of the Gryffindors felt that Snape would use this as an opportunity to get back against House Slytherin's chief rivals, even if it meant helping the Hufflepuffs. Wood decided that the best way to handle this was to end the game as quickly as possible. To this end, he told Harry to concentrate on finding and catching the Snitch to the exclusion of everything else, rather than fly interference as he had in the game against Slytherin.

When the day of the Quidditch match finally arrived, the weather was cold but mercifully clear. Wood had been worried about having to play in a blizzard, as cancelling a match due to bad weather was uncommon. Harry was amazed at how full the stands were, it seemed that the entire school had turned up for the game. The Gryffindor Seeker even saw Headmaster Dumbledore in the staff section, resplendent in a bright purple set of robes.

The game had only been in progress for a few minutes when Harry spotted a golden flash of light near the ground. Focussing his attention he spotted the Snitch flitting about just above the grass. Determined to end the game quickly, he pushed his Nimbus 2000 into a dive and headed directly for the Snitch. Pulling up just above ground level, he grabbed the Snitch just as it seemed to try and dart out of his reach. Soaring back up into the sky, he held the Snitch aloft as Professor Snape reluctantly blew the whistle to end the match.

In the weeks that followed, Hermione decided that the end of year exams were too close for comfort and pushed her friends into intensive study. This meant that she pushed them to be in the library whenever Harry, Hermione, Neville and Ron had spare time.

Many of the teachers had increased the quantity of homework they set at this time, so Harry found that the time in the library was quite useful. Ron and Neville found these study sessions to be tough going at first, so Harry took the time to pass on some of the methods that he had learned from his Aunt Belldandy. Neville found these very useful, but Ron had a harder time to be enthusiastic.

"Can't we take a break for once? It seems like we spend all our time in here." The red-head complained one day.

Harry was used to hearing comments like this from Ron, so he kept his attention on his textbook until he heard Neville speak up. "Hey, it's Hagrid. I haven't seen him in the library before."

Harry looked up to see the Keeper of the Keys hovering by a set of shelves devoted to magical creatures. Hermione spoke up in a slightly surprised tone. "Hello Hagrid! What brings you here?"

"Jus' lookin' up some stuff." Hagrid replied, looking slightly shifty.

"Anything in particular?" Harry asked, noticing that the Groundskeeper seemed to be hiding something behind his back.

"Oh, ye know, stuff. Still, gotta get going." The large man answered, his actions matching his words as he shuffled out.

"That was odd. Did he have a book with him?" Hermione commented. Ron nodded.

"I think so. He was hiding it behind his back for some reason."

"Weird," Harry commented, "I wonder what he's up to."

"Maybe we should visit him later, see what he's up to." Neville suggested.

"Sounds good to me." Ron replied.

* * *

><p>Hermione stared at the egg. She had a strange look on her face, as if she could not make up her mind as to whether she should be shocked or angry. Resigned acceptance looked to be winning.<p>

"Really, Hagrid? A dragon's egg? Do you know just how many laws you've managed to break with this?" Neville asked, sounding slightly incredulous.

"I've always wanted a dragon," Hagrid said firmly, "met a bloke down at the pub who had an egg for trade."

"That's beside the point," Hermione answered hotly, "you can't raise a dragon at Hogwarts! It's too dangerous! And this hut of yours is completely inadequate for it!"

"I'll manage," Hagrid replied, looking hurt, "I know a few things about dragons."

Harry sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, Hagrid, we're just worried for you. And about you. I really don't think that raising a fire breathing dragon in a wooden hut is a safe thing to do."

Hagrid just looked determined as he prodded at his fire, raising the temperature inside the already over-heated hut.

"C'mon guys, Hagrid just wants a dragon." Ron said, tugging on Harry's sleeve. "Let's check back when it's hatched."

As the four students walked back up to the castle, Hermione was still ranting. "I just can't believe it. Has he no sense at all?"

"Not when it comes to dangerous animals," Ron said, "the twins told me he once asked Dumbledore if he could have a pet Sphinx."

"We have to do something about this," Harry said earnestly, "if that egg hatches the whole school could get into trouble."

"My brother Charlie works on a dragon preserve," Ron suggested, "maybe we could owl him and get him to take the egg?"

"If he turned up at the front gate asking for Hagrid's egg it would kick up a storm." Hermione replied. "We need to keep this quiet."

"Charlie is great on a broom," Ron tried, "maybe we could sneak the egg out."

"No. Just no." Neville said with some heat, surprising his friends. "We're first years for Merlin's sake. We shouldn't be doing stuff like this, what if we get caught?"

"But we have to help Hagrid, what kind of Gryffindors would we be if we let him down?" Ron answered angrily.

"I think that kind of loyalty is more Hufflepuff, Ron," Harry joked, trying to relax the atmosphere, "maybe we should bring this to Professor Sinistra?"

"That'll just make it public again," Hermione said wearily, "if we're going to get help they have to be discreet about it."

"I'll write to my father," Neville said firmly, "he used to be an Auror and he'll know how to handle this."

"Won't that make it public? We want to avoid that." Harry inquired.

"Hagrid was a friend of my father when he was here," Neville explained, "he'll try to keep things quiet so that Hagrid isn't arrested."

"OK, if you're sure," Harry answered, looking a little unsure.

* * *

><p>Dumbledore let out a small sigh of resignation as the door to his office opened. Yet another parent had written to him about some unidentified "issue at Hogwarts" that could only be resolved in person. <em>It was bad enough when Harry's family arrived. Still, at least I was given plenty of advance notice this time - a whole day, rather than a quick Floo call in the morning followed by a lunch I'd rather forget.<em>

Frank Longbottom entered the room in a practiced manner - Dumbledore could see the tell-tale signs of Auror training and hard earned experience as his guest automatically stepped to one side of the doorway and scanned the entire room for threats with a quick glance. Habits such as those had kept Auror Longbottom alive during the war against Voldemort, and a decade in hospital had not dulled his edge.

"Welcome, Lord Longbottom. I believe we have a matter to discuss?" The Headmaster said as he rose to greet his guest.

"Indeed, Headmaster, my son has informed me of a problem here at Hogwarts that needs to be handled carefully." Frank replied, eyeing the portraits of former Headmasters hanging on the walls.

"Oh? I am surprised that he went to you first, he normally approaches a prefect or his Head of House first." Dumbledore said with a small degree of surprise as he gestured for Frank to take a seat.

"Thank you," Longbottom said as he settled down, "and you're right. But in this case he felt that going through official channels would create problems. I have to agree with him."

"So what is the issue?" Albus asked as he resumed his seat.

Frank Longbottom pursed his lips for a moment before he spoke. "Hagrid has managed to acquire a dragon egg. Apparently, he's trying to hatch it in that hut of his."

Dumbledore stared at the man in front of him, before he lowered his head slightly and put a hand over his eyes. "Honestly, just when you think he's tried everything..."

"I know, I remember Hagrid's pets when I was a student here," Longbottom said with a wry grin, "so I shouldn't be too surprised. Still, a dragon must be a new record."

"At least he started with an egg," Albus replied, chuckling slightly, "given the chance he would try to smuggle a full sized Horntail onto the grounds."

"I can see that happening," Frank said, "still, I don't want to see Hagrid get into any trouble over this. Got any ideas as to how we can nip this in the bud?"

Dumbledore stood up again. "First, I'm going to go and visit my old friend and ask him about the Keys he keeps for me. I'm sure our conversation will move to the topic of his pets, he does love chatting about them."

"Say no more," Longbottom replied with a small smirk, "I'll just see myself out. Do let me know if there are any more problems with Hagrid's menagerie, he was a good friend of mine when I was a student here and I'd hate to see his enthusiasm get him into trouble." He paused as he stood up. "Or at least, more trouble than normal."

"We can but hope." Dumbledore intoned as he opened the door and paused to let his guest go. "Do give my regards to Alice."

"Certainly, Headmaster." Frank Longbottom said as left the room.

* * *

><p>A few days after Neville had written to his family to tell them about Hagrid's latest pet, an owl arrived and presented itself to the Longbottom heir. Neville took the letter while offering an owl treat , doing his best to look normal while his friends stared at the missive intently. After the owl took wing, Neville opened the letter and read through it quickly. After a few seconds he looked up again.<p>

"Father says that the matter has been handled, and that we shouldn't talk about it. He didn't put in anything more, so I guess it is meant to be secret."

Harry nodded, while Hermione looked around to see if anybody was eavesdropping. "It makes sense to me. Poor old Hagrid, he'll be upset after all of this." The Boy-Who-Lived commented.

"Do you think we should get him a gift, try to cheer him up?" Ron asked.

"We might also think about apologising. While he should never have brought it here, it doesn't alter the fact that we played a role in having it taken away." Neville replied.

"That won't be necessary," Dumbledore said, having come up to the Gryffindor table unnoticed, "Hagrid understands that you did what you had to in the circumstances. I explained it to him, and he isn't the type to hold a grudge. Still, giving him another pet would not go astray."

"Any suggestions, Headmaster?" Harry asked, thinking of what the Keeper of the Keys would want.

Dumbledore paused, before he smiled gently. "May I suggest something smaller and more manageable, like a puppy?"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes: <strong>Gift certificates are at once a great and terrible present. Great in that you don't really have to think about what to get somebody, terrible in that they show a true lack of imagination and also lock the recipient into one shop (or chain). I prefer to give cash when inspiration fails, being a universal "gift certificate" that has no expiry date.

Many thanks to everybody at Caer Azkaban for their help with this chapter.


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